Construction work is moving so quickly that Royal Caribbean will bring its next new cruise ship into service even earlier than expected.

Legend of the Seas will be the third Icon Class ship when it debuts next year. The original plan was for Legend to start sailing August 2, 2026. 

Guests booked on that sailing received an email to inform them that the new ship will enter service sooner than expected.

"We have an important update on the arrival of Legend of the Seas. Our teams have been working diligently to deliver to you An Iconic Family Holiday, and the ship is progressing ahead of schedule."

Royal Caribbean is adding three new 7-night sailings before the August 2nd sailing.

These cruises will depart:

• July 11, 2026
• July 18, 2026
• July 25, 2026

The new inaugural sailing for Legend of the Seas will depart roundtrip from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy on July 11, 2026, and visit:

• Naples, Italy
• Barcelona, Spain
• Palma De Mallorca, Spain
• Provence (Marseille), France

New choices for sailings

Before these new cruises go on sale to the public, anyone that was already booked on the August 2nd sailing will have the first chance to move up to the new ones.

"Understanding that some guests may value being the first onboard, and others look forward to celebrating the inaugural voyage – we want to give you the first choice and the flexibility to switch sailings, add an additional sailing, or stay on your currently booked sailing," the email wrote.

Guests that opt to move sailings will be transferred in a like-for-like stateroom currently booked, based on availability. This is on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Suite guests have one week to take advantage of price protection for the July 11, 2026, sailing only
  • After that, the transfer will be based on the current prevailing rate.
  • For the two (2) additional sail dates, all suite moves will be based on availability and at prevailing rate
• Guests in Interior, Oceanview and Balcony staterooms will have the opportunity to transfer at the prevailing rate

You have until next week to decide

If you want to move and take advantage of one of these earlier sailings, you need to act quickly.

Guests must decide if they want to move their reservation to one of the earlier sailings no later than September 24, 2025.

If you do not make a change by September 24, 2025, anyone booked on the August 2 sailing will remain booked on that sailing, and you can still choose to add the new Legend of Seas sailings based on availability.

Another new ship moving up sailings

This is the second Icon Class ship in a row that has had their first sailing changed and moved up.

Royal Caribbean did this with the launch of Star of the Seas. Eventually, four "showcase sailings" were added prior to the launch of the ship.

In both cases, the reason was the same: construction was faster than expected and the ship was going to be ready earlier.

Star of the Seas was scheduled for an August 31, 2025 debut but ended up having its first revenue sailing on August 16.

Sister brand Celebrity Cruises did something similar with new cruises prior to the inaugural with the launch of Celebrity Ascent and Xcel.

Before its official inaugural sailing, Celebrity Ascent added "pre-inaugural sailings" before its official maiden voyage. 

Xcel is being readied earlier as well, and has a four-night preview sailing beginning November 9, while the The November 18 sailing will still host the inaugural events.

What's new on Legend of the Seas

The new cruise ship is still under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and there's very little information available on what will be different yet.

Legend will be the third in the Icon Class, and it's expected to be about the same size as both Icon and Star.  That puts the new ship at about 250,800 gross tons and can accommodate approximately 5,610 passengers at double occupancy or up to 7,600 passengers at maximum occupancy.

When you add crew members, that brings the theoretical total amount of people up to 10,000.

One change we know about is the supper club will have a Hollywood theme.  The previous two supper clubs on Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas had a New York and Chicago theme to theme.

During her inaugural season, Legend of the Seas will sail from Barcelona, Spain, and Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, marking the first time an Icon Class ship will offer cruises around the Mediterranean. 

She'll then move to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following a 13-night transatlantic cruise at the end of October. Her first sailing from Florida is scheduled for November 11, 2026. 

Beyond that, Royal Caribbean hasn't revealed any information yet on what will be different or new about the ship.

Most people think Royal Caribbean deals are only found in various promotions, but there's a list of the best offers most people don't know about.

Tucked away on the cruise line website is a PDF document that gets updated once a week with the best offers, known as the "Going, Going, Gone" rates.

These are last-minute sailings that have unsold cabins leftover with good prices. Deals can range from "good" to "deep savings", and if you act quickly, you could take advantage of them.

Bargain hunters that have flexibility should start their search with the GGG sales.

The cruise sheet with the deals

Every week on Tuesday or Wednesday, Royal Caribbean updates a list of sailings of heavily discounted sailings.

To be honest, this list is intended for travel agents as a reference to know about good deals, but it's publicly available for anyone to see, you just need to bookmark URL once because it never changes.

You can find the link to the Going, Going, Gone rates here.

These are almost always cruises departing in the next 60 days or so, and it's offered as a way to fill unsold cabins.

For each sailing, there's a listed price for different cabins. Not every cabin category may be available to book, but it gives you a quick reference for the price point.

Where to find the secret list

You won't find the link to the Going, Going, Gone list linked to on Royal Caribbean's website. 

Instead, you just have to bookmark it or Google it each time you want to find it.

What to know before you book

Updated usually on Tuesday, the Going, Going, Gone rates are a static list of prices that are bookable on a first-come basis.

Rates can sell out, and the list won't get updated when that occurs. 

Sometimes there might be one cabin left at the advertised price on the list, so you'll need to act quickly.

You book the price the same way you'd book any other cruise. There's no promo code or special instructions needed.  Going, Going, Gone serves as a heads up that there are lower prices available.

As you'll quickly tell from the sheet, there is a limited selection to choose from on any given week. Only certain itineraries, ships, and categories may be there, and some weeks there could be very few options.

One more thing to know is since these are almost always cruises that are past the final payment date, you'll need to pay the entire cruise fare upfront.

Here are my best tips for browsing the Going, Going, Gone deals and finding the right cruise for you.

• Be Flexible: Dates and ships are limited.

• Check Weekly: New list drops every Tuesday.

• Book Fast: Deals disappear quickly.

• Work with a Travel Agent: They make everything easier, and it's how I always book mine.

• Compare Total Cost: Always factor taxes, fees, and airfare.

Examples of past deals

Our team has relied on the Going, Going Gone rates as a source of deals to peruse.

One example was an oceanview cabin on Freedom of the Seas for 7-nights for just $584 per person. It cost just $1678 total for two people, and saved almost 60% off the previous price.

Another time we found a 4-night cruise on Allure of the Seas listed on Going, Going Gone for $834.36 for two people in a guaranteed interior stateroom. That's just $104 per person, per night, including gratuities and port fees. 

The best deal ever was a $99 per night cruise fare for another guarantee inside room, but this was on Liberty of the Seas.

As you can see, sometimes you have to roll the dice with which cabin you'll get assigned.  Flexibility is so important with these special prices.

By far, the best markdowns are on repositioning cruises or off-season sailings.

I've consistently found great deals on September and October cruises especially, because it's a time of year with slower demand for all itineraries: Caribbean, Europe, and Alaska.

Who should book these deals

While anyone can book a Going, Going, Gone rate, I think certain types of people will benefit the most from them.

Given that these are all last-minute sailings that depart within the next 6-10 weeks, I think those with flexible schedules would be the ideal customer.

Retirees, people that can work remote, couples without children, and aging bloggers might have the time off to make these sailings work the best.

I also think someone that lives within driving distance of the embarkation port would be ideal to book. If you're booking a cruise that leaves in a few weeks, pricey last-minute airfare could offset any savings from the cruise fare.

However, if you have airline or credit card points available, this might be the perfect opportunity to cash those in.  

Regardless, look at the total cost of the vacation beyond the fare before booking.

Bottom line

Royal Caribbean's Going, Going, Gone can be a hidden treasure chest for savvy cruisers, but you'll need to be swift and be open to limited choices.

While the choices of ships, sail dates, and staterooms are going to be limited, there could be good prices available.

I look at this sheet as a bonus opportunity to sneak in another cruise, rather than the primary means of planning out a family vacation. For those types of cruises, rely on booking a cruise early as the best strategy to get a good price.

If you time it well, this little-known secret can turn into your biggest cruise savings.

A fight among passengers on one of the biggest cruise ships was so bad that Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas had to go back to port.

The incident occurred on Monday night, which was the first day of the cruise.  Wonder of the Seas had departed Miami to begin a 4-night Bahamas cruise.

According to a report by Local10, the ship returned to PortMiami on Monday night because the fight onboard injured some guests.

When the ship arrived, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel were waiting at the pier to provide medical care.

In a statement by Royal Caribbean, they explained, "Our team provided medical care to adult guests who were involved in an altercation onboard, and the guests are being treated for their injuries."

"We notified local authorities and are working closely with them. As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no more information to share at this time."

Wonder of the Seas is an Oasis Class cruise ship, capable of accommodating 6,988 passengers.

The ship launched in 2022 and just shifted to offering short 3- and 4-night cruises as part of a new strategy by the cruise line to embrace short sailings as a way to draw in new cruisers.

What happened onboard?

None of the media reports regarding the incident share what exactly occurred, but the incident caused some injuries.

Our team scoured the Facebook groups for the sailing to get witness reports from onboard the ship.

Here are what some people report, although most of it seems to be second-hand reports.

"2 incidents. Lady with broken ankle and a huge brawl. Saw the lady with her ankle and leg wrapped up and the guy into the fight with blood everywhere"

"A ships officer said there was at least two [incidents], one with the lady with a broken foot/ankle, and another one with a fight."

"A family group was just escorted off with their suitcases, by Security, from the back exit door on 5 (Royal Promenade)"

Cruise ship security measures

A fight on a cruise ship isn't common, but each ship is prepared to deal with it.

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act requires all cruise lines to have a security guide.

Wonder of the Seas has dedicated security and medical teams to respond to an incident onboard. Each member of the team lives on the ship and is on duty and available at all times.

According to Royal Caribbean, crime allegations are reported to law enforcement officials in the next port of call, as well as to the nation where their ships are flagged. 

The company also reports allegations of crime to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Coast Guard (USCG), in compliance with United States laws.

For a crime such as the man allegedly assaulting with serious bodily injury, US federal law requires Royal Caribbean to report the incident to the FBI by telephone as soon as possible, to the United States Department of Homeland Security electronically and to the USCG in writing. 

Cruise ship internet was stereotypically slow, but Royal Caribbean has adopted a new generation of technology to make it the fastest yet.

On Star of the Seas, guests can purchase an unlimited internet package that provides high speed wifi to use during their cruise.

This ship is different from other ships in that it employs equipment capable of delivering up to 10Gbps in satellite internet.

All of Royal Caribbean's ships are serviced by Starlink internet, which provides high speed internet.  It's been a game changer ever since the cruise line switched to Starlink in 2022.

Star of the Seas is going one step further with a Starlink Community Gateway, which can deliver "10Gbps of symmetrical throughput," meaning it can supply up to 10Gbps for both downloads and uploads. 

Starlink shared the news on X, indicating the next-gen technology is available on the brand new cruise ship that began service in August.

Royal Caribbean reportedly spent $1.25 million to place gateways around the ship that can relay data back and forth with the orbiting Starlink satellites in space and terrestrial internet infrastructure.

Why this matters to cruisers

Having reliable internet on a cruise ship has been a top priority for many cruisers for quite a while, as cruise lines compare themselves to land resorts but often are nitpicked by customers for slower internet.

The internet speeds with the normal Starlink service on Royal Caribbean ships has been more than adequate, but this Community Gateway product has the potential to offer internet speeds on a ship that would be even faster than what's available at home or a resort.

More guests expect to be able to step on a cruise ship and use the internet onboard the same way they would on land.

With symmetrical 10Gbps speeds, it would easily allow for more bandwidth to be offered to customers and that means less waiting for things to load.

The potential for faster speeds is what this could offer.

Throttling?

Even with Starlink, cruise lines have typically throttled guest connections, regardless of the available bandwidth.

What this means is if a ship has access to a certain amount of bandwidth, each guest is limited to a certain fraction of it.

"Cruise lines are throttling guest usage so end users are not necessarily reaping the bandwidth benefits," wrote Scott Sanders of The Disney Cruise Line Blog on X as he shared his experience with Starlink.

We think the rationale for throttling is so that no single person uses more than their share of bandwidth. But the caps tend to make large file transfer and video streaming sometimes problematic.

Throttling could also be a cost cutting move. Making available enough bandwidth for guests to experience better speeds may require a higher cost. As an example, Starlink posted on its website that the Community Gateway costs $75,000 per Gbps per month.

Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, alluded to how expensive satellite internet is last year when he publicly talked about it at an event.

"We got to pay a ton, a ton, a ton of money for WiFi," he explained.

"I sign the invoices when they come in [and] every time I see them I'm like, oh my God." Mr. Bayley said he cringes whenever he sees the yearly bill. 

He couldn't remember the exact amount the cruise line pays each year but reiterated that "it's huge."

The good news is Starlink has a major advantage over traditional satellite internet that preceded it because it has low latency.  This means the connection responded much faster, so there's less waiting for something to happen.

What if there was an easy fix you could apply to your next cruise that would make a big difference?

After all my years of cruising, I've found sometimes a very small change can have a big impact on my enjoyment of a cruise. Think of it like discovering a new marinade that invigorates a tired meal you're used to, or perhaps a supplement that makes your gym workout less tiresome.

Cruises are a very personalized experience, because everyone chooses a different way to enjoy it.  I could spend weeks on the same ship and never try one aspect of the cruise that someone else did.

I asked our readers for an easy thing they do to make their cruise better, and wanted to share the tips, hacks, and alterations they came up with for an even better Royal Caribbean cruise.

Skip the buffet for breakfast

A great example of a "do this, not that" in order to enhance your cruise is where to have breakfast.

Most people default to hitting up the Windjammer buffet for breakfast. That's fine, but it can be quite crowded.

Fred Hazelton recommended a sit down breakfast and skip the buffet.

Royal Caribbean opens its Main Dining Room for breakfast every day of the cruise, including the final morning.

Not only is the pace more relaxed, but you're assigned a table and have the choice of traditional American breakfast items: scrambled eggs, omelettes, pancakes, and more.

It also won't take a long time to enjoy breakfast in the Main Dining Room.  You can expect to complete the meal in less than hour.

The only potential issue is breakfast isn't served as long in the Main Dining Room as it is in the Windjammer, so you'll need to get going early for it.

On Oasis of the Seas, breakfast is served between 8:00am and 9:30am in the Main Dining Room.

Put the kids in a connecting stateroom

I've been cruising with my kids since they were each 6 months old, but there's no doubt sharing a room with them isn't always idyllic.

Krystal Sodaitis recommended booking connecting rooms so the kids have their own room, and I couldn't agree more.

Booking connecting rooms instead of a larger single room is one of my favorite family cruise hacks.

This strategy gets you an extra bathroom, separation with a common door, and so much more privacy and living space.

The older your kids get, the more important this is.  When my kids were young, they needed a perfectly dark and quiet environment to fall asleep (and stay asleep).  This meant my wife and I had to go bed early and had to keep lights and noise to a minimum as not to disturb them.

As they got older, having an extra bathroom went from "nice to have" to "must have" because of how much time girls need to prep and pamper before they're ready to go out.

Plus, the separate bedroom gives everyone privacy.

I love my kids, but sharing one cabin with them isn't necessarily the best setup for a cruise.

It's also worth mentioning booking two connecting smaller cabins may actually be cheaper than a single larger higher category stateroom, such as a suite.

Don't live out of your suitcase

It's tempting to get on the cruise and start all the fun as soon as possible, but I agree putting away your clothes makes a difference.

Stephen Dennis wrote, "Keep your cabin clean. Don't live out of your suitcase!" and I think he's right.

On shorter cruises I'd sometimes just leave everything in my suitcase because the effort to unpack and pack it all back later seemed silly.

The truth is unpacking makes the room less cluttered and easier to find what you actually need.

I didn't want to admit that unpacking mattered because my laziness and pride was blocking it. But once I started unpacking, I realized the cabin does feel different.

Moreover, keeping the stateroom tidy is more than just being proper.  Having things put away means you can actually enjoy the furniture in the room, like the couch.

Cruise ship couches seem to be magnets for junk, discarded clothing, and paperwork.  Not being able to sit on the couch because there's too much stuff really limits the usable space.

When I keep my couch clear, I find it almost liberating how much more expansive the cabin feels.

Pay everything ahead of time

Early on in my cruising career, I used to dread the final morning of the cruise because of the final bill waiting outside my door (and my vacation ending too).

One solid strategy for limiting onboard spend is to pre-purchase as much as you can, which is exactly what Paul Fossetti recommended.

"Pay everything ahead of time. Once onboard, don’t have to worry about anything," is what he wrote and there's truth to this.

Not only does this reduce the final bill at the end of the cruise, but it allows you to spread expenses out.  

After booking the cruise, you could split up purchases on different credit card billing cycles to take the sting out of the costs.

Equally important is how much cheaper it is to pre-pay for these things compared to buying it onboard.

Royal Caribbean has so many pre-cruise sales that you're almost certain to save money by pre-booking, especially on drink packages, shore excursions, internet access, and specialty dining.

Many readers recommended a beverage package as an easy thing to do for a better cruise, and using Paul's tip will save so much money on that.

You can find discounts of up to 40% off a drink package when pre-purchased.  

Relax and don't sweat the small stuff

So many readers posted tips related to going onboard with the right attitude.

• "Go on it and forget about everything"
• "Don't worry about unexpected plan changes"
• "Don’t sweat the small [stuff] and enjoy yourself"
• "Attitude! Don't worry"

Cruises are designed to be fun, enjoyable, and relaxing, but you've got to let it all come to you.

Jeff Page wrote, "Relax and don't sweat the small stuff," and that's terrific advice for any cruiser.

Like any vacation, it may not all go exactly as you thought.  It might rain, your kids might have a bad day, your steak might not be cooked to order, and the Bills might blow another AFC Championship game.  You can't let those things ruin your cruise.

On one cruise I had grandiose plans for visiting St. Thomas and my plans backfired almost immediately and I got so frustrated and angry.  My wife took me to a nearby bar for a drink to regroup and it served as a good lesson that you can't let things like that go from a small problem to a major one.

We had a couple drinks, found something else to do, and salvaged our day.

My experience is akin to what many recommended with anything that doesn't go your way on the cruise. Go with the flow, and make the best of the situation at hand.

Cruise solo

I saw a few people recommend to cruise solo, and it's actually solid advice.

Cruising alone may not be ideal, but it's better than not cruising at all. Sometimes there are situations where friends and family can't join you for the cruise, but the chance to go is worthwhile.

On the surface, comments of "cruise solo" sound like a preferred way to travel. But I think it's a reminder if the choice is cruise solo or don't cruise at all, there's value in cruising solo.

This isn't a free pass to ditch your family in favor of a cruise, but there are situations where it may make sense to take a leap and try a cruise alone. 

I can tell you from experience cruising alone isn't as limiting as you might fear.

Welcome back to this week's comprehensive look at all the recent Royal Caribbean news. It was a big week for the cruise line, so let's dive in!

A Royal Caribbean passenger is accused of jumping overboard to dodge vacation gambling debt.

Authorities say a man jumped off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship to allegedly avoid paying nearly $17,000 in gambling debt.

The crazy event unfolded as Rhapsody of the Seas was returning to port after a 7-night cruise.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean reroutes ship away from Tropical Storm Mario
• I cruised on the biggest ship to ever sail from Los Angeles. One short cruise wasn't enough
• 7 things I wish more cruisers did on Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas
• I cruise with friends a few times a year. Here's how to avoid problems that could ruin your relationships
• Icon of the Seas vs MSC World America: one was better, but the other was a better value
• Royal Caribbean Group loyalty perks compared: Crown & Anchor, Captain’s Club & Venetian Society
• Trying 5 of the new parties on the newest weekend party ship

New RCB Video: Cruises I'd Skip After Taking Almost 100 Royal Caribbean Cruises

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise!

This week, we are sharing our latest video — Cruises I'd Skip After Taking Almost 100 Royal Caribbean Cruises —and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Ports cruise ships will visit instead of its now cancelled Caribbean port

After cancelling six months of visits to Labadee, Haiti, we know where its ships will go instead.

Royal Caribbean has canceled over 35 stops to its private destination through April 2026.

Cruise ships have been re-routed to places in The Bahamas, Jamaica, and beyond.

Royal Caribbean's getting closer to opening worlds biggest swim up bar

The pace of construction progress is picking up at Royal Caribbean's first beach club.

There are clearly visible buildings at the future site of the Royal Beach Club in Nassau, Bahamas, including the home of what will be the world's biggest swim-up bar.

The beach club will have an extra cost once open, but it will be exclusive to Royal Caribbean passengers.

Best ways to get Royal Caribbean deals and discounts

I compiled a list of the best tried-and-true ways to get a Royal Caribbean cruise discount.

There are lots of ways you can try to find better prices, but only a few are clearly the top strategies.

The key is knowing when to book, and where to look before you choose a fare.

Construction begins on fourth Icon Class ship

It doesn't have a name yet, but Royal Caribbean has already begun building its fourth Icon Class ship.

A special ceremony was held this week at the shipyard in Finland to officially lay the keel.

This is an important milestone in a cruise ship's construction.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 576th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available! 

With cruise ships skipping Labadee for at least another six months, what should Royal Caribbean do with the private beach?

We update our podcast weekly, so subscribe for more updates via YouTube, iTunes, Google Podcasts, or RSS.

You can also leave us a rating or review on iTunes, so go ahead and check it out! We appreciate your feedback.

I think going on a Royal Caribbean cruise is better with friends, so I'll invite as many as I can to sail each time we have something booked.

Although I know these people well in my everyday life, group travel is a different dynamic and I've learned there need to be certain expectations ahead of time.

We're all on vacation together, but there are challenges to navigate when you're sailing with people you know. You definitely don't want to let something silly not only ruin the cruise, but put your entire friendship in jeopardy.

Over the years, I've added techniques based on life lessons that make a cruise with friends so much better and less likely to break up our relationships.

I make it clear we aren't spending every minute together

The great thing about a cruise vacation is how much there is to see and do, and I think it's easier to do your own thing than if I traveled to a city or theme park with friends.

When I extend an invitation to book the same cruise as us, I try to convey that we want to sail together but understand that they will want alone time and we do too.

I remember the "Full House" episode when the Tanners went to Disney World and Danny overplanned the entire trip in a vain effort to stimulate bonding.  All it did was annoy everyone, and that has stuck with me.

I'll tell my friends there will be times where we want to chill, or do an excursion with just us. And I'm okay if they want to do the same thing.

I love traveling with friends because there are times when we can socialize together by the pool, on the beach, or at dinner.  But it doesn't have to be a 24/7 activity.

Not every friend is right for a cruise together

Real talk: some friends are wonderful people to hang out with for a beer at home, but traveling together might not be a great idea.

I've learned there are different family dynamics, special needs, and personalities that might work well for dinner out but not necessarily on the same ship for a week.

The issue isn't everyone needs to be a clone of my personality, rather, I don't want frustrations to boil over.

Some of my friends compliment my travel's family style better than others, so it's okay to be picky with which friends I'll invite. Being friends only at home isn't a bad thing either.

Book the cruise with the same travel agent

A lesson of making your cruise easier is to use the same travel agency for the booking.

Not only could you potentially get group benefits from Royal Caribbean if you book enough cabins, but being booked under the same travel agent really makes coordinating onboard plans a lot simpler.

I don't want to be nagging my friends to make final payment or try to answer billing questions. I'll let the travel agent do that, so we can focus on the fun things together.

Plus, a travel agent can easily link everyone's reservations together so that dining together is simple.

I make planning a group conversation

There are two elements to a cruise where I think you really want a group effort: dining and excursions.

I rarely plan out anything onboard the ship during the day, but I'll definitely want to get a consensus about where and when we plan to eat because dinner on cruises is the most pivotal time.

Are we going to eat in the Main Dining Room? Buy a dining package? Windjammer it up?

The reason dinner is so important is it's clearly the meal every day where most passengers are doing the same thing, and it's a good opportunity to talk about our day, make evening plans, and essentially come together.  

The other group think activity is to plan out our tours on shore.

Finding an awesome shore excursion to share in together is probably the best thing about cruising with friends.  Hanging at a beautiful beach, exploring a city, or trying something together really adds to the memories.

It's fairly informal, but we usually text each other excursion ideas and then agree on one.  Going back to my second tip in this article, I've found the people that I like to invite to a cruise have the same ideas of what a fun excursion are going to be, and that helps ensure we're on the same page.

Usually it's easy enough to toss them a link to book a dinner or excursion, so there's no mess of money to be discussed.  But if we're going to share a cabana or private tour and I'm going to book it, then I'll be very clear on how much they owe before we agree to book it. 

I've learned you should never assume how much the other people think they'll owe. 

Establish a way to text onboard

It's so much easier to stay in contact with friends on Royal Caribbean ships now, thanks to better internet and even a free chat feature in the app. You can even make a group chat with the app.

Before getting onboard, have a plan how you'll communicate with each other.  Text, WhatsApp, or the Royal Caribbean app all work, but get that sorted out before the ship departs.

The key is to ensure you all agree on something before you get onboard so no one is left in the dark.

Sharing a cabin? Split your bill (and bed)

If you've invited a friend to share a cabin with you, be sure to get them on a different billing option than you.

Nothing ruins a friendship faster than money, so go to Guest Services after you board the ship and have them add their credit card to their account.  That way, there's no confusion who owes what or why someone bought something.

While on the topic of money, you should agree on how you're splitting the onboard credit for the cabin. It's quite common to get OBC, so agree who gets it or how you'll split it.  Never assume!

Speaking of splitting, you can split your bed by asking your stateroom to do it.

You can specify this on your cruise reservation ahead of time, but if it doesn't get done, just ask your cabin attendant.

Ask, don't expect

Another lesson from cruising with friends is it's safer to ask them about a plan or idea rather than waiting for them to come to you.

It can be dicey trying to balance your friendship in a way that doesn't seem like you're too needy or distant.

I feel I'm a point in my life where we don't need to act like it's high school and there are social rules for when and when not to do something, especially when it comes to inviting yourself.

Ultimately, I'll opt to shoot a quick message over to ask if our friends want to join us or if we can join them for something. But there's the understanding the answer can be "no" and it won't hurt our feelings.

Examples include:

• Getting chairs at the pool deck
• Going to a show
• Sitting at the bar for drinks

These are situations where the words, "Mind if I join you" are said. 

Too many times I've deferred not to be a bother only to realize later they would have loved to have us join them, but didn't want to bug us.

The secret to getting a deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise is knowing when and how to book to net the biggest discount.

When you're ready to book a cruise, people want to get the lowest price possible through discounts, offers, or special pricing. 

Having sailed with Royal Caribbean for over 20 years, I've found the key is to be smart about when and where you book your cruise.  Cruises aren't like retail items that have promo codes or across the board price drops. Instead, cruise prices tend to be more like airfare in that there's an ebb and a flow to how much the cruise line charges for it based on demand.

Here's my best advice on how to get a discount on your Royal Caribbean cruise vacation!

Book early and reprice often

When someone asks when they should book a cruise, my answer is always "now".

As more people book up cabins on a sailing, that drives prices up. And with cruise lines seeing record demand, last-minute sales are far from a good deal in many cases.

The best strategy that people that cruise a lot employ is to book the cruise months and years in advance and then watch for price drops.

Residents of certain countries (United States, Canada, Australia) can re-price their cruise up until the final payment date if they spot a lower price.

Without a doubt, this strategy has been my best method for getting the best price.

The danger with waiting to the last minute to book is there may not actually be a lower price.  In fact, I'd be more concerned the sailing will sell out.

Use travel agents for group rates

Before I book any sailing, I'll check with a good travel agent for special rates or targeted offers that may exist.

You might be surprised to hear how effective and useful travel agents are for booking a cruise, and they've saved me so much money over the years.

Travel agents have access to special pricing through group rates in their own agency and consortia's they belong to.

It's not unusual for their to be dozens of group rates available, but you have to know which ships and sailings are available.

Sometimes I've gotten lucky by asking my travel agent to book a voyage and being informed there's better pricing than I saw online.  In other cases, I'll ask what group rates are out there and cherry pick a sailing.

You should always use a good travel agent to book your cruise because you only stand to benefit from a potentially lower price (and of course, great service).

Gambling in the casino is risky, but could get you "free" cruises

Royal Caribbean's casino rewards its players with targeted offers, but there are a few things to know before you hit the slot machines.

If you play in the ship's casino and use your SeaPass card to track your wagers, you'll be automatically entered in the Casino Royale program.

Sometimes you might get an email or postcard in the mail with specific sailings you could book and only pay the taxes and fees. 

Or, you could earn enough points while on a ship gambling to reach a point tier and earn a certificate towards a free cruise.

I think casino offers are great, but they're best for those with a fair amount of flexibility when they can sail and a high tolerance for gambling losses. I would never advocate planning your family vacation around the casino offers.

You're probably wondering "how much do I need to gamble to get an offer?" and no one really knows precisely.

Casino offers are sporadic and inconsistent. I've seen people that have barely gambled get free cruises while those with thousands of points not have anything.

Consider cruising in the off season

Let's assume there are no special group rates, how do you save money on that ship and itinerary you want to try? Pick a sailing that isn't during peak season.

Every region of the world Royal Caribbean sails to has higher and lower demand depending on the month.

You could save hundreds of dollars if you pick a cruise in one month over another.

As an example, an Alaska cruise in May will cost you much less than the same cruise in July.  Or a Western Caribbean cruise in September is going to be cheaper than April.

Knowing about the shoulder seasons is important, so ask you travel agent which months tend to see lower prices. If you have the flexibility to not be tied to a specific week, you might be able to take advantage of much lower cruise fares.

Check Royal Caribbean's last-minute deal offer sheet

Did you know there's a special cruise offer sheet that comes out once a week with last-minute deals?

It's called the Going, Going, Gone sheet, and it usually gets updated weekly on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Sailings are usually for the next 60 days or so.

Sometimes there are lots of offers, and sometimes very few.  It's also debatable how good the rates are, but it's one of the best ways to see the cheapest sailings you can sail on in the immediate future.

You'll have to act fast to book them, as there may only be a few cabins listed at the advertised rate.  The sheet isn't updated when a rate becomes unavailable. By week's end, many of the offers are sold out.

Credit card offers

Sometimes credit cards have special savings if you use that card to book a cruise.

American Express is usually the most consistent in offering these, where if you spend a certain amount of money, AmEx will give you back membership points or money off.

Periodically check your card offers to see if there's something available for a cruise booking, but it may only be offered once or twice a year and there's usually no advanced notice.

New ships are always going to cost more

An inconvenient truth about cruising is you're always going to pay more for a new ship.

Star of the Seas, Icon o the Seas, or Utopia of the Seas are the newest ships in the world and their novelty as being very new commands premium pricing that goes with it.

You could book an older ship to save money, but if you're committed to trying a cruise ship that launched in the last five years, prepare to spend more.

The cruise ships that don't compromise on the family fun experience without the premium price tag include:

• Mariner of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas

I find consistently good prices on these ships, and thanks to some recent upgrades, they offer lots to do onboard.

After sailing on Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, it's clear some passengers had the wrong approach.

I spent over a week on Star of the Seas, which is the next Icon Class ship and newest cruise ship in the fleet.

While everyone has their own cruising style, I think there are definite mistakes to avoid.  These are things that could improve your cruise, make your life easier, or simply avoid being "that guy" on the ship.

I came up with 7 things I think everyone should do if they sail on Star of the Seas so they can have a great first time aboard.

Make reservations before the cruise

Arguably the best thing about Star of the Seas are the amazing shows, so missing out on them because you don't have a reservation would be a mistake.

Royal Caribbean opens reservations before the cruise begins on its Cruise Planner website and app.  

There isn't yet an exact cadence to how many days before the cruise opens reservations are bookable.  It seems when a new ship launches, everything takes a bit longer to get going on the backend.

The official policy seems to be 30 days ahead of your cruise, but it may be closer to your actual sail date.

Nonetheless, you should check often to see when it becomes available and then book reservations for all the primary shows: Back to the Future: The Musical; Torque; Sol.

If by some chance you miss out on pre-cruise reservations, there are two backup options.

First, as soon as you get on the ship, head to Spotlight Karaoke on the Royal Promenade where the box office will be located. There, you can get extra reservations the ship holds back from online bookings.

If all else fails and you have no reservations, there's still one more recourse: the standby line.

In my experience, if you get in the standby line at least 30 minutes before the show starts, there's a good chance you'll make it into the show.

Guests with a reservation are admitted first, but a lot of people don't show up because they're busy with the fun elsewhere onboard. 

If you can line up early, you ought to still be able to make it into the show.

Get to Dueling Pianos early

Another thing you don't want to miss is Dueling Pianos.

Only available on the Icon Class ships, this is the hot ticket nightly entertainment on Star of the Seas.  

Basically, there are two pianists who play crowd requests and there's a lot of audience interaction.  It's not a piano recital. Rather, it's a riff on each other to see who can out-do the other and how to make each song really fun.

The only problem is a lot of people onboard love Dueling Pianos, and the bar fills up quickly.

With other bars that have live entertainment, you can usually roll in and grab a spot.  But not Dueling Pianos.

If you want to see Dueling Pianos (and you should), I'd recommend getting a table at least 30-45 minutes before show time. 

While it's a fairly large venue, it fills up very quickly. As people discover it, it seems like every night all the tables are occupied well before the show starts.

Don't let the crowds deter you, because it's worth seeing!

Go to Surfside, even if they have no kids

I get it: Surfside neighborhood is meant for families with young children, so if you don't have kids, why would you go there?

The reason is the food.

While you're right the aquatic activities may not be worth a visit, there are three different restaurants here and I think adults would enjoy it too.

Pier 7 is a very affordable specialty restaurant serving some seriously underrated food.

I booked a pre-cruise reservation for brunch for $9, and it was the perfect upgraded meal. The brunch and dinner menu differ somewhat, but I like the food served at both.

Surfside Eatery is the buffet and while it's mostly kid-friendly food, I'm not above stopping in for nuggets, burger, or shrimp cocktail.

The selection of food is surprisingly not as juvenile as you might think, and it's way less crowded than the Windjammer most times.

Lastly, Surfside Bites is worth it when you're nearby for the pizza toastie!

Gotten off the ship early at CocoCay

One day not to sleep in is the day Star of the Seas visits Perfect Day at CocoCay.

There's a huge difference in crowds in the morning hours versus lunch and later. Getting off the ship before 10am is the smart play to ensure you get a good spot and take advantage of a quieter ambiance.

Whether you're going to Oasis Lagoon, Coco Beach Club, or Hideaway Beach, maximizing your day here is all about getting off the ship early.

Not only can you get a chairs and an umbrella in a convenient area, but it's also going to be less oppressively hot in the morning.

If you paid extra for the Beach Club or adults-only area, then getting there early is extra important to squeeze more value out of your day.

Personally, I like to get to the island around 9am, enjoy the morning, have lunch, and then head back in the early afternoon.

This strategy takes advantage of the cooler morning temps, avoids the hottest part of the day, and allows you to head straight to the pool deck and enjoy a less crowded pool and Thrill Waterpark slides.

Elevator etiquette

I try not to preach in these posts because not everyone needs to do things exact as I do, but I feel there are a lot of people who need to know about proper elevator etiquette.

It's simple: when you're waiting for an elevator and the doors open, stand aside to let anyone who's in the elevator out first.  Then, you can shove yourself inside.

With Star of the Seas, there's less shoving into elevators since they have destination elevators.

Nonetheless, let folks out first. Otherwise it just jams everything up and it takes longer because someone has to move back out to let the people depart the elevator.

Take advantage of all the fun new drinks onboard

Did you know a number of bars around Star have their own drink menu that you can't find on other ships?

Royal Caribbean is really proud of the fact they developed a lot of special menus for various bars, so if you have a beverage package, I'd recommend seeking these out to try them all!

These bars all have menus that differ from the standard fleetwide menu:

• Dueling Pianos
• Pub
• Schooner Bar
• Dueling Pianos
• Lou's Jazz N' Blues
• 1400
• Lime & Coconut
• Boleros
• Rye & Bean

My favorite drinks to try on Star of the Seas that are unique to the ship include:

• Jazzy Saz (Lou's Jazz)
• 1400 (1400 Bar)
• Frozen Irish Coffee (Rye & Bean)
• Snap, Crackle, Pop (Dueling Pianos)
• Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned (Schooner Bar)

There are plenty more, but consider these your starting points.

If you prefer mocktails, the new fleetwide menu has so many new mocktails to try!

Pre-book to save money

Maybe it's just me, but if I spot someone buying the Deluxe Beverage Package onboard the ship, it makes me cringe because of how much money they could have saved buying it before the cruise.

On embarkation day, I like to head up to a bar and hang out to enjoy a "I'm on a cruise" drink.  Inevitably, someone comes up to the bartender to ask about buying a drink package.

Royal Caribbean was charging $124 per person, per day for the Deluxe Beverage Package on Star of the Seas, but anyone could have saved around 40% off the drink package by simply booking it beforehand.

This is true also of dining packages, internet packages, and shore excursions.

These savings can be truly substantial, so if there's a small chance you might want one of these popular add-ons, I'd recommend buying before the cruise and not paying top dollar once onboard.