The most anticipated cruise ship in over a decade has arrived home.

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas sailed into Miami in the early hours of Wednesday morning ahead of her inaugural sailing in just two weeks.

The new 1,198-foot cruise ship will begin offering cruises from Miami, Florida on January 27, 2024.

The marvel of engineering took 900 days to build and has a capacity for up to 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew members.

Here's a look at the celebration tied to Icon's arrival.

Arrival home

Icon of the Seas sailed into PortMiami right at 7am to a fanfare celebration.

Royal Caribbean welcomed the ship by shuttling over employees from its Miami headquarters to celebrate the Icon's entrance.

Entrance is the right word, as the new ship came into the turning basin to spin around for onlookers.

Clearly visible are so many of the ship's signature features, from the AquaDome to Surfside neighborhood to the Category 6 water park.

Onlookers waved ribbons and shouted with excitement for the new ship. Icon had her own deck party going, with music blasted from the ship to match the music heard from the party.

Royal Caribbean's event included a DJ, mini-golf course, snacks, and lots of photo opportunities.

So many employees on the beach shared their collective euphoria for the new ship's homecoming.

New cruise ship launches are always a big deal, but Icon represents more to the cruise industry. She's the first of a new class of ship, and she ushers in the post-Covid era of cruising with an industry experiencing unprecedented demand.

Icon of the Seas has not only more to do onboard than other ships, but its Royal Caribbean's play at positioning itself as the preeminent family vacation choice.

Being on the shore of the waterway, you could sense there was a level of excitement for this ship that was different than when Wonder of the Seas or Odyssey of the Seas launched just a couple years ago.

As Icon finished her turn, she headed to Terminal A. The new ship will conduct a series of shakedown cruises, which is a sort of "dress rehearsal" for the new ship.

Along the way, there will be opportunity for the media and travel agents to get onboard too. There will be a lot of pomp and circumstance leading up to her maiden voyage at the end of the month.

Highly anticipated launch

The arrival of Icon of the Seas represents a historical moment for Royal Caribbean, and it ushers in a new kind of cruise ship experience.

The 250,800-ton ship will have eight neighborhoods and never-before-seen advancements, such as a swim-up bar, a new adults-only retreat, and an expanded Royal Promenade. The Promenade has more than 15 restaurants, bars and lounges and floor-to-ceiling ocean views.

The Promenade will feature an interactive, multi-sensory experience made with kinetic tiles called The Pearl. 
Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean Chief Product Innovation Officer called it “a bit art, a bit sculpture, a bit experience, a bit wow."

There are 28 different types of rooms, including Royal Caribbean’s first cabins that can turn the balcony space into an extended indoor living space. They're called infinite balconies, and it's a concept first implemented on sister-brand Celebrity Cruises.

You won't overlook the three-story Ultimate Family Townhouse, which measures 2,523 sq. ft.

Record-setting demand

Icon's arrival coincides with months of excitement leading up to this moment.

Royal Caribbean revealed plans for Icon of the Seas in October 2022, and the hype surrounding the ship has never stopped. Icon of the Seas’ bookings so far have performed better than any other cruise ship launch. 

"I know it's a brand new product and it's stunning, but it's really driving a huge amount of demand and great rate," Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said. 

Over 6 million people took a Royal Caribbean cruise in 2023. With the launch of Icon of the Seas and other innovations from the cruise line, these numbers will only grow.

Ready to eat on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship but want to know where you can find restaurant menus? You're not alone, with the decision of which restaurant to eat dependent on what they'll serve.

Royal Caribbean ships have a variety of included and specialty dining. Each has its own menu, with some menus the same every day and other menus changing daily. Moreover, sometimes the menu varies from ship to ship.

To prepare you for where to eat, we accumulated as many menus as possible to share with you an idea of what you can expect.

Some menus may change before you get onboard. Some restaurants don't have a fixed menu, and there's far more variety. Nonetheless, I've tried my best to provide the most complete look at what we have, and hope for the best.

This post is a work in progress, as we try to keep it updated with the most up-to-date menus. If something is out of date, please email [email protected] with a new copy you find!

Here's a look at the 2025 menus at Royal Caribbean restaurants.

Main Dining Room menus

Royal Caribbean revamped its Main Dining Room menus in 2023, and it continues to be offered in 2025.

Each night there is a different dinner theme to the menu, with a mix of cuisines you can choose.

Welcome aboard menu

All sailings will feature the Welcome Aboard menu on the first evening.

French night menu

Sailings six nights and longer will offer the French Night menu on the first formal night.

Caribbean night menu

On Caribbean sailings, the Caribbean Night menu comes out on the first evening at a Caribbean port.

Italian night menu

All sailings will feature the Italian Night menu on at least one night.

Royal Night menu

Sailings six nights and longer will offer The Royal Night menu on the second formal night.

Mexican night menu

Mediterranean night menu

British night menu

Taste of USA menu

Bon Voyage menu

This menu is served on the last night of the cruise when it's a longer sailing.

Asia night menu

Kids menu

What is the order of the Main Dining Room menus?

The exact order will depend on your sailing.

One way to know which night will have which menu is to check the Royal Caribbean app in the days leading up to your cruise.

In the app, the menus will appear and in the correct order for you to reference.

Once on the ship, you can also find the dinner menu posted outside the Main Dining Room, as well as noted in the daily Cruise Compass.

Windjammer menus

There is no posted menu for the Windjammer buffet.  

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the Windjammer, but there is no printed menu. Food stations will change daily for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is mostly the same every day.

Dinner will have a theme posted in the Royal Caribbean app and Cruise Compass, but it refers to a highlighted cuisine served that night, and not the entirety of the choices.

Essentially, you'll show up and see what they have to offer.

The Key lunch menu

If you purchase The Key VIP package for your cruise, a welcome aboard lunch is included with the cost.

AquaDome Market (Icon of the Seas only)

Bamboo Room

Available on Mariner of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas

Basecamp menu (Icon of the Seas only)

Bubbles menu (Icon of the Seas only)

Chops Grille menus

Iconic Cuts menu

Available only on Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas.

Giovanni's Italian Kitchen menus

Giovanni's Italian Table menu

Jamie's Italian menu

The Jamie's Italian menu was updated in mid-2023 onboard Symphony, Harmony, Mariner, Navigator, Quantum, Ovation, and Anthem of the Seas. 

Lunch menu

Dinner menu

Johnny Rockets

Breakfast

On Oasis Class ships, Johnny Rockets is open for breakfast and it is free!

During breakfast, you will find classic American fare (just like the other meals), including pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, eggs, French toast and more.

Lunch and dinner

For lunch and dinner, Johnny Rockets costs extra.

Boardwalk Dog House

El Loco Fresh menu

Empire Supper Club (Icon of the Seas only)

Read more: Trying Expensive Empire Supper Club Restaurant on Icon of the Seas

Fish & Ships menu

Available on Independence of the Seas (complimentary) and Ovation of the Seas.

150 Central Park menu

Kids menu

Hooked Seafood menu

The Hotpot menu (Spectrum of the Seas only)

Mason Jar menu

Dinner menu

Brunch menu

Izumi sushi menu

Izumi hibachi menu

Izumi Omakase menu (Utopia of the Seas only)

Read more: I tried Royal Caribbean's new chef-driven Japanese restaurant, and it was a food journey that surprised me

Izumi in the Park menu

Available on Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas in Central Park.

Pier 7 Brunch (Icon of the Seas only)

Pier 7 Dinner (Icon of the Seas only)

Portside BBQ menu (Oasis of the Seas only)

Playmakers Sports Bar menu

Royal Railway Wild West menu (Utopia of the Seas only)

Read more: I tried Royal Caribbean's immersive train experience. It's unlike a cruise ship restaurant, and has so much potential

Sabor menu

Available on Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, and Liberty of the Seas.

Samba Grill menu

Available on Allure of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas.

Sichuan Red menu (Spectrum of the Seas only)

Sip Tour Brunch (Spectrum of the Seas only)

Surfside Bites (Icon of the Seas only)

Taste of Royal menu

Read more: I tried the Taste of Royal lunch experience

Trellis Bar (Icon of the Seas only)

Chef's Table menu

Read more: Royal Caribbean Chef's Table dinner review

Wonderland menu

Dinner menu

Kids menu

Read more: Wonderland restaurant review

Room service menu

Breakfast

All Day Menu

Read more: Royal Caribbean room service guide & tips

Sugar Beach menu

With Royal Caribbean replacing Ben & Jerry's with its in-house menu of ice cream flavors, this is what you can expect.

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Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship will arrive to her homeport this week, and there's going to be a giant celebration.

Icon of the Seas is on her way to Miami, which will be her homeport and where she will sail out of when cruises begin.

The new cruise ship is a big deal to Royal Caribbean, and they want a party to celebrate her arrival.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley posted on social media an invitation to an early morning welcome party in Miami to celebrate Icon's arrival.

Icon of the Seas departed Ponce, Puerto Rico a few days ago, and will arrive in Miami on Wednesday, January 10. 

The ship is scheduled to arrive around 7am eastern into the PortMiami area on Wednesday. The cruise line had originally planned to bring Icon in on Tuesday, but the forecast was not favorable, and pushed back her sail-in to Wednesday.

Mr. Bayley wants cruise fans that can be in the area to join in the festivities, "Come and join us!" he wrote on his Facebook post.

Anyone interested in attending should go to Perez Art Museum Miami for the ship's arrival.

If you go, you won't be alone. Mr. Bayley said many Royal Caribbean employees and cruise fans will be there to celebrate.

"Look for us waving from ICON as we arrive into Miami," he wrote as he implored fans to join in.

"Let’s wake up the whole city with our excitement for the Icon of Vacations’ arrival home." 

He also said there's going to be games, breakfast bites, live music and giveaways every 15 minutes.

But first, a crew member party

Before Icon heads to Miami, she will make a stop at the cruise line's private island and give the hard working crew members onboard an opportunity to rest and party before more the inaugural work starts.

Mr. Bayley posted a photo of the nearly complete new adults-only beach expansion, Hideaway Beach.

Hideaway Beach is an extra-cost area that will be only for guests visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay that are 18-years-old or older. 

Read more: Perfect Day at CocoCay tips, secrets, and tricks

It's located on the western side of the private island, and will feature an infinity pool, cove pool, DJ, private cabanas, and a few included restaurants.

The cost to visit Hideaway Beach depends on your sailing, but the price has been around $30-$50 per person on many sailings.

The new beach won't open to the public until Icon of the Seas' first official visit with paying passengers early next month, but it will be ready for crew members on Monday.

"Our amazing Icon crew will be the first to experience the biggest and best private island party at the new Hideaway Beach," Mr. Bayley posted on Facebook. 

"This break is so well-deserved as they've been working hard to put the finishing details on Icon, making sure the ship is just right for our first guests."

"I am so grateful for this startup crew and the years of expertise and passion they bring to the World’s Best Family Vacation."

After the party on Monday, the crew members have a day off while at sea for, "crew recovery".  There's also high winds and rain expected in Miami on Tuesday, so the cruise line will wait an extra day for Icon's arrival to avoid the front moving through South Florida on Tuesday.

Prepping for cruises to begin

Once Icon is in Miami, Royal Caribbean has plans to ready the ship for the first official sailing.

Icon of the Seas will remain in Miami for a couple of days, before a series of employee shakedown cruises.

Shakedown cruises are cruises with employees who act as guests to give the crew members onboard an opportunity to test and adjust their procedures. Think of it like a dress rehearsal.

The final shakedown cruises will occur on January 20 and January 23 when Royal Caribbean hosts members of the media and travel agents onboard for two 3-night cruises. The latter sailing will include the naming ceremony with the ship's Godfather, Lionel Messi.

Icon then takes one final break on January 26 before paying passengers will be able to board the ship for it's official maiden voyage on January 27.

The maiden voyage will be a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that visits Perfect Day at CocoCay, St. Thomas, and St. Kitts & Nevis.

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

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

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

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

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

Not buying add-ons before the cruise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not applying sunscreen

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

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

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

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

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

Being rude to crew members

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

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

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

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

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

Forgetting their SeaPass card on disembarkation day

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

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

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

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

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

Disembarking before luggage number called

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

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

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

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

More cruise tips & tricks:

• 30 Do's and Don'ts for the first day of your cruise
• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?

Cruising was expensive in 2023, leading to many to seek out cheaper alternatives to the the premium prices new ships have. It's a great way to save money on a cruise in 2024 and 2025.

Social media has popularized the concept of "dupes", which is when you seek out cheaper duplicates. It's something Gen Z and millennial influencers trotted out as travel prices starting to rise.

Of course, a dupe is a fancy term for what travelers have been doing for decades of bargain hunting. It's akin to "do this, not that" approach to trip planning and you can apply this strategy to cruises too.

With land travel, you might look at a trip to Memphis, Tennessee instead of Nashville, Tennessee. Or Liverpool, England, instead of London.

It's a hot trend in travel, and here's how you can apply this to a Royal Caribbean cruise.

It's not about picking the oldest ship possible

You might think all you have to do is find the oldest, smallest cruise ship and this exercise is over. But that's over simplifying the idea.

Sure, a cruise on Grandeur of the Seas will almost always be the cheapest option, but finding a dupes is about saving money, not necessarily the lowest price.

Read more: I've sailed on all of Royal Caribbean's oldest ships. Here's why I don't mind sailing on these small ships

Think of it like buying a television. You don't want the cheapest model they have, because it's going to probably not the size you want. Instead, you want to find the best price of the same class of television you're in the market for.

When it comes to cruise ships, the idea is you compromise a little on the ship in exchange for a much better price.

Big ship dupe

Given that Royal Caribbean is well-known for its biggest cruise ships, you might be tempted to book one of their newest and biggest ships: Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas.

These represent the latest and greatest Royal Caribbean has, but they will also have the highest prices.

Assuming you want to go on a big ship with lots to do, water slides, and great entertainment, there are a couple ships to consider instead.

Oasis of the Seas is the best alternative to sail on instead. It's the original game changer of the Oasis Class ships, and got a massive upgrade in 2019 with $165 million in upgrades.

It has lots for families, including water slides, a Broadway show, a revamped pool deck, and updated kids programming.

Here's a look at prices to see the difference:

Spring Break 2024 - March 17, 2024

• Icon of the Seas: Starting at $1,806 per person
• Wonder of the Seas: Starting at $953 per person
• Oasis of the Seas: Starting at $875 per person

Summer 2024 - July 6, 2024

• Icon of the Seas: Starting at $2,934 per person
• Wonder of the Seas: Starting at $1,276 per person
• Oasis of the Seas: Starting at $1,046 per person (Oasis will be in Europe)

Christmas 2024 - December 21, 2024

• Icon of the Seas: Starting at $2,146 per person
• Wonder of the Seas: Starting at $1,295 per person
• Oasis of the Seas: Starting at $964 per person (6-night itinerary)

You'll easily save a few hundred dollars per person by choosing an older Oasis Class ship over a brand new ship.

Alaska cruise dupe

If you're like me, you'd love to take an Alaska cruise and experience everything this beautiful part of the world has to offer.

Finding the right dupe is about balancing dates and ships. There's a big difference in time of year, as much as which ship you pick.

Royal Caribbean offers cruises on two types of ships: Quantum Class and Radiance Class ships.

The bigger Quantum Class ships sail from Seattle, and that will get you a convenient embarkation port, and lots to see and do on your ship.

The Radiance Class ships sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's a bit more difficult and expensive to get flights there (compared to Seattle), and the ships have less to do onboard. But they usually have a much appealing itinerary.

It's also important to note Radiance of the Seas does open-jaw sailings instead of roundtrip. She also offers land tours.  For the purpose of this exercise, we're going to omit Radiance since it's so different in terms of itinerary to the other ships.

Just like the Oasis Class, if you opt for the older ship in the class, you'll probably get a better price.

June 14, 2024

• Ovation of the Seas: $1,434 per person
• Quantum of the Seas: $1,418 per person
• Brilliance of the Seas $1,006 per person

July 12, 2024

• Ovation of the Seas: $1,497 per person
• Quantum of the Seas: $1,209 per person
• Brilliance of the Seas $1,059 per person

August 9, 2024

• Ovation of the Seas: $946 per person
• Quantum of the Seas: $986 per person
• Brilliance of the Seas $698 per person

Alaska's prices aren't as varied as the Caribbean because there's less choices and the season is so short. 

Still, you can see there are price savings in almost every scenario if you choose to cruise on Quantum or Brilliance over the newer Ovation of the Seas.

It's more than just the cruise price

However, not all dupes will necessarily pay off for cruisers. You may need to rely on other ways to find savings.

Which picking a "dupe" cruise, you should consider what the ship's amenities are, such as dining venues, top deck activities, and entertainment.

Depending on which week you're looking at cruising, you might find less of a discrepancy than you might have wanted. If you're willing to change the time of year you cruise, you can often save much more money on the cruise fare.

Read more: When is the best time to go on a cruise?

Avoiding peak season times to go on a cruise can be net you much bigger savings than picking one ship over another.

To save money on a cruise in general, try being flexible with your trip dates. For example, pick a Caribbean cruise in September or May instead of July.

Read more: The best time to book cruises by day, month, and last-minute

Picking a shoulder season cruise, along with booking a year or more in advance, is the best combination to saving the most money and getting the lowest price for almost any cruise.

TikTok and the media have become obsessed with Royal Caribbean's first ever world cruise for all the things that happen on pretty much any cruise.

I'm not sure why this cruise has become so obsessed over. Maybe it's the slow news cycle that occurs around the holidays, but a number of major media outlets have written about how TikTok blew up with so-called drama on the Ultimate World Cruise that will take 9-months and began a few weeks ago.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas kicked off the world cruise on December 10 from Miami, and she will spend 274-nights traversing the world with hundreds of people onboard for the entire transit.

As soon as the ship set sail, it seemed to ignite an overnight sensation on TikTok among people who were intrigued by the notion of spending almost a year on a cruise ship. 

Like so many things on social media, a bigger deal was made out of it than it really is. The problem is the media picked up on it, and is reporting on the sort of things happening so far on the cruise as if it's something new, when it's really not.

I'm all for fun videos about cruises. Heck, our team makes our own silly videos too.  But before you share that article that there's drama on the world cruise, here's a reality check.

Why is the world cruise all over TikTok?

Photo by mamanee117

In the lead up the world cruise, a number of people booked on the cruise started publishing videos about the cruise and used the #RoyalCaribbeanUltimateWorldCruise hashtag.

All sorts of videos started popping up, and when it was time to board the ship, even more videos got posted and there's been 9 million views on the platform.

Nine million views is a lot of views, for sure. But in reading through the comments and looking at the videos, what we're basically seeing is people post about things that happen on any vacation when you have a lot of people together in one place.

The comments are also a hot bed of people that have never cruised and/or Never Cruisers that like to share their opinion on why cruising is silly. But this is just another day on the internet.

The world cruise is not any more dramatic than any other cruise

People on TikTok became as interested in the cruise itself as the personalities of the creators. Given that the vast majority of the public has never been on a cruise before, all sorts of assumptions and predictions were made. Many were just plain crazy.

"Can you imagine the type of drama that is gonna happen on that boat?” user @nchimad on TikTok said in a video

"If something big goes down, I want to hear from different people, different angles, perspectives."

I'm not sure what constitutes "something big", but misbehaving guests, accidents, and strange occurrences happen on pretty much every cruise (and high school, theme park, or Starbucks) around the world.

Read more: Things that can get you kicked off a cruise ship in an instant

While there will certainly be people who get in trouble, annoyances, or other instances of guests behaving badly, this is not unique to a world cruise by any means. 

Photo by whimsysoul

Another person created a bingo card for things that could happen on the world cruise. She isn't actually on the sailing, just following along.

The video has over 300,000 views so far and the squares range from the mundane to the absurd.

• Getting sunburned
• Norovirus
• Brands sponsors for passengers
• Pirate takeover
• A wedding
• Someone goes home early
• Port errand runs
• Minor mystery to solve

If we overlook the laughable squares (pirates?), getting sunburned, married, gaining 15 pounds, or having a mental breakdown are not unique to any single cruise.

Read more: 22 unpleasant cruise ship problems you aren't prepared for

Anyone that's been on a cruise ship would tell you these sort of things happen.

Then there's a video by Little Rat Brain that showed what her cabin looked like, and it has 1.4 million views.

Photo by little_rat_brain

She did a great job at creatively decorating her cabin for the entire voyage so it feels more like home, "I’m creating custom mail from each of the ports. Obviously, as it’s an interior cabin, we had to bring the outside in, so we did that with some help from IKEA – shout out to their plant walls."

Photo by little_rat_brain

"I also created some of these custom murals, to just brighten everything up. This is a sneak peek of what’s to come, it’s not quite done yet."

She has put a lot of effort into her cabin decorating, but plenty of people do this sort of thing on any cruise. Cabin decorating is a popular cruise ship activity.

Many cruise ship passengers will decorate their cabin doors, while others will go as far as to decorate the inside of their room too.

Cabin photos by Don & Judy "Meet me at Vintages" Goldstein

Inside cabins aren't as bad as you think

If you read the comments made to the cabin tour video, there's people who can't believe little_rat_brain would stay in an inside room for 9-months.

“My claustrophobia can’t,” a viewer commented.

"Is it not a fire hazard to have no windows in a room?" another questioned.

Inside cabins are commonplace on cruise ships, and while they aren't spacious, there are advantages to staying in them.

Booking an inside cabin doesn't mean you're in your room all day. Most cruise ship passengers are out and about doing things. Hanging at the pool, grabbing a meal somewhere, on shore exploring, or enjoying music around the ship. 

In most cases, cruise ship cabins are used as a place to sleep, change, and shower.

In addition, booking an inside room means a lot of money saved that can be used towards other aspects of this epic trip.

The price for the full 274-nights was between $53,999 per person to $117,599 per person. Suffice to say, the inside room was closer to the low end of that range.

Bottom line

In short, the people sailing on the world cruise are just like the people on pretty much any other Royal Caribbean cruise.  The only difference is the length of their sailing.

Any cruise you pick is going to have a myriad of personalities and backgrounds. That's what makes travel so compelling, because you're exposed to different cultures and get to meet new people.

The internet may be freaking out about the drama that may or may not occur on Serenade of the Seas. But there's no reason to believe this is really anything out of the ordinary.

When I go on my cruises in 2024, I'll be making a few changes to how I cruise.

I went on 11 cruises in 2023, including 9 of them on Royal Caribbean ships. It was my best year yet of cruising, and I was able to sail to a variety of destinations around the world.

With the new year nearly upon us, I can't help but look back at what I did this year, and the new year resolutions I'll make to being a better cruiser in 2024.

With any cruise, you can alter the dynamic of how you approach it. It's not a "one size fits all" product, and that means you have the option to change it.

I came up with five changes I want to make in my 2024 cruises so that I can save money, avoid pitfalls, or simply improve my experience overall.

Book my second half cruises sooner (to save money)

The cost of travel went up in 2023, and cruises were no exception.

The average price of a Royal Caribbean cruise is higher now than in 2019, and as as consumer, I need to adjust my strategies.

While I have a number of cruises already booked for 2024, my plan is to be more proactive with booking anything new.

In the past, I would still rely on booking a cruise with about three months or so left to be able to squeeze another cruise in. This was partially because I live in Florida and can drive to any cruise port in the state, but also because I was slow to come up with ideas for articles to write and subsequently find a cruise to make it happen.

Instead, I'll book my cruises sooner to hopefully get a better price than if I try to get a last-minute deal.

I'd recommend anyone reading this to also aspire to book their cruises earlier. Prices are only going up, so booking early is still the best overall strategy for a better price.

Read more: The best time to book cruises by day, month, and last-minute

Skip the drink package

Depending on how long you've read posts on this site, you know I've generally been a fan of the Royal Caribbean drink package. But I think that may be changing this year.

Even at the higher prices, I still think the drink package is a good investment for someone looking to indulge during their cruise. It still has the propensity to save money.

However, I've found an alternative way to enjoy alcoholic beverages on my cruise without paying the price of a drink package. 

Many readers have told me about how lucrative Royal Caribbean's casino loyalty program can be, as it includes unlimited free drinks in the casino as one of its perks.

Read more: I gambled enough in Royal Caribbean's casino to get free drinks and a cruise

I'm not a big gambler by any means, but I cruise enough during the year that I can spend a little bit during each sailing to accrue enough points to reach Prime in the Casino Royale program.

Having achieved that status, I can now get free drinks in the casino.  Combined with the free drink vouchers I get from Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, I want to try relying on this instead of buying a drink package.

The downside to this strategy is I'm reliant on going to the casino to get a drink. On big ships, this is quite the schlep.

Nonetheless, the money-saving opportunity this strategy has is too alluring to pass up, so I want to try it this year.

Take the train instead of driving to South Florida

From the first time I took the new Brightline train between Orlando and Miami, I was hooked.

It's about three and a half hours to traverse Central and South Florida, and it's an extremely boring drive. Much of Florida's interior is rural and there isn't much to see. Plus, that's a lot of time to be out of pocket for covering what's happening in the world of cruising.

Brightline opened daily service between Orlando and the ports Royal Caribbean ships sail out of in South Florida, and it has been a godsend for people like me that hate to fly but were sick of the drive.

I've taken the train five times now, and when Icon of the Seas begins her cruises from Miami, I'll be taking the train instead of my car to get back and forth.

Read more: I took the Brightline train from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale for my cruise. Here's what it was like

Driving is still cheaper, but my time is worth more to me, especially if it means never having to get stuck in traffic or slowed down by a downpour.

Rethink the unlimited dining plan

Earlier I said I'd skip buying a drink package, but for the specialty dining package, I'm going to commit to thinking twice before buying it.

I've bought the unlimited dining package for plenty of my cruises because it's a great way to enjoy many specialty restaurants. 

But like the drink package, the price of the dining package has gone up. And equally importantly, Royal Caribbean has stepped up with its complimentary food. While I love the hibachi or a filet, I never regret the stir-fry station in the Windjammer or a bowl of French onion soup in the Main dining room.

I think a lot of people are coming to a similar conclusion, especially on Icon of the Seas.

Jeffrey Robinson bought the unlimited dining package the first day it became available for the Icon of the Seas inaugural sailing, but then cancelled it a few weeks ago because he realized how much great complimentary food there was on Icon. 

I didn't cancel my dining package for Icon, but as I plan out the rest of my 2024 cruises, I might reconsider the investment.

Finally try the rock climbing wall

Believe it or not, I've never tried the rock climbing wall on any Royal Caribbean ship.

The rock wall has been a staple of Royal Caribbean ships ever since it was first introduced on Voyager of the Seas in 1999.

I've always wanted to try it, but never got around to doing it.  A few years ago I actually went to the wall to try it, only to hear it was closed because the wall itself was too hot.

I'm not sure which ship I'll try it on, but I aspire to finally get up on the rock wall this year! The Crown's Edge on Icon of the Seas can take the rock wall's place on my "never done it" list.

Go for a night swim with my kids

Not my kids

When I was brainstorming this list, I thought of something to do differently as it relates to my kids.

We've always talked about going up to the pool for a swim after dinner, but never end up doing it.  Either the kids find something else to do, or I realize we have plans elsewhere on the ship.  Or we just get lazy and call it a night.

In any case, I want to find time to go up at least one night per cruise with the kids up to the pool to get some time in for a night swim.  Maybe it's for half an hour, maybe it's for an entire movie, but I think this is a good year to make it happen.

Big Royal Caribbean ships may seem similar, but there are a lot of differences you should know about.

Among the six Oasis Class cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are popular choices that offer so much to do onboard.

Harmony was built after Allure, and she represents the evolution of the Oasis Class. Having sailed on both ships, it becomes clear quite early there are lots of changes between the two ships.

While the layout and overall feel of the ships are similar, there are noticeable changes between the two ships that could change your decision of which to book.

Here are the key differences between them both.

Ship size

Harmony of the Seas is slightly bigger than Allure of the Seas in order to market the ship as the "biggest cruise ship in the world" when she debuted in May 2016.

That isn't to say it's a big difference, as Harmony is a few feet longer and has a bit more gross tonnage.

Here's a look at each ship's size:

Dining

You will find complimentary dining restaurants that are included in your cruise fare, along with the choice of specialty dining restaurants that cost extra.

The core dining experience is the same on both ships, with the Main Dining Room offering traditional and My Time Dining for dinner.  It's also open for breakfast every day and lunch on sea days.

The Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas looks like it's split up among three restaurants (it even has a different name based on which deck you're on), but it's the same menu across all three areas.

The Windjammer buffet is open every day for all three meals, although the venue on Harmony is a bit wider to help with crowds.

If you're staying in a suite, there is a complimentary restaurant exclusively for you at Coastal Kitchen.  This is available on both ships.

The specialty restaurant choices are where you'll notice the biggest difference among the two ships.  There are different restaurant choices you can eat at on both.

Here are the differences among the specialty restaurants on Harmony and Allure:

The biggest difference is Samba Grill on Allure or Wonderland on Harmony.

In terms of bars, there are minor differences between the two ships.

Cabins

The cabin selection on both Harmony and Allure should be just about the same.

You will find plenty of inside, oceanview, balcony, and suite cabins across either ship. 

Being that both are an Oasis Class ship, these vessels have balcony cabins that face inwards instead of the ocean. The Central Park and Boardwalk balcony cabins are an interesting alternative to ocean balconies, and you can book them on either ship.

If you're a solo traveler, only Harmony of the Seas has cabins specifically designed (and priced) for you.  There are 12 Studio Ocean View cabins and 3 Studio Interior rooms.

Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Single and Studio staterooms

You may also notice the cabin aesthetic is different between the ships.  Harmony of the Seas is newer and adopted a new look for cabins that was first introduced with Quantum of the Seas in 2014.

Inside cabin on Harmony of the Seas

Inside cabin on Allure of the Seas

The rooms on Harmony generally have more storage space, darker woods, and a more modern feel to the cabin.

You'll also find USB outlets in a room on Harmony.

Entertainment

An area you'll notice differences between the two ships are the featured shows onboard.

Royal Caribbean has a well-deserved reputation for its entertainment, and nearly every ship has different shows onboard.

Both ships feature a Broadway show, along with original Royal Caribbean productions.

Royal Theater

• Allure
  • Mamma Mia
  • Blue Planet
• Harmony
  • Grease
  • Columbus, The Musical

AquaTheater

• Allure
  • Oceanaria
• Harmony
  • Hideaway Heist
  • The Fine Line

Studio B

• Allure
  • Blades! Ice Spectacular
• Harmony
  • 1887: A Journey in Time
  • iSkate

You will notice that there is an extra show in Studio B and AquaTheater on Harmony, which is nice to have additional variety. 

Activities

You won't have any shortage of things to do on any Oasis Class ship. These ships were designed to offer more than you can experience in just a week.

One big difference between the Allure and Harmony is only Harmony of the Seas has waterslides.  Harmony was built with the slides, while Allure has yet to have them added.

The Perfect Storm slides are comprised of two racer slides and one champagne bowl slide. The slides descend three decks through a series of twists and turns over the ship’s tree-lined Central Park neighborhood 10 decks below.

Speaking of slides, Harmony of the Seas has the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, which is a 10-story slide that descends from the Sports Deck down to the Boardwalk. Allure does not have an Ultimate Abyss slide.

Both the water slides and Ultimate Abyss are complimentary.

For younger kids, there are different splash areas on both ships. 

Harmony of the Seas has Splashaway Bay where kids can play among the water slides, water cannons, fountains, pools and whirlpools.

Allure of the Seas has the H2O Zone, which was the precursor to Splashaway Bay. It has water geysers, a small whirlpool, and hot tubs.

Harmony of the Seas has a dedicated escape room onboard, which has an extra cost. Allure of the Seas does not have an escape room. The goal of an escape room is for the guests to work together to find clues needed to solve various puzzles in 60 minutes or less.

Both ships have twin Flowrider surf simulators, twin climbing walls, a zip line, outdoor mini-golf and a basketball court.

While both ships have pools and hot tubs, there is one significant difference between Allure and Harmony in the adults-only area.

The Solarium on Harmony of the Seas does not have a pool. Instead, it has a walk-through mister meant to cool people off.  Allure of the Seas has a pool in its Solarium.

Bottom line

As the only "un-upgraded" Oasis Class ship, Allure of the Seas sometimes gets overlooked because it doesn't have waterslides or some of the newer dining venues.

If you have children that absolutely need waterslides, then the choice between the two is obvious. Otherwise, you're balancing the virtues of each ship.

The different Broadway shows may sway you in one direction, or you may feel strongly about a certain specialty restaurant. 

The most notable difference are the lack of slides on Allure of the Seas.

Depending on when you are looking to cruise, the home port and itineraries may be different too.

Whether it was exploring fjords, seeing Mexico by yacht, or seeing Maine in a new way, this year was full of adventure on the cruises I took.

In 2023, I was lucky enough to take 11 cruises on two different cruise lines across multiple continents. It was my best year of cruising yet, and I can't help but reflect on the best moments from the year.

I was inspired to think of the top five moments from my cruises this year and share them here.

Here are my favorite travel experiences of the year.

First European cruise

Up until 2023, I had never taken a cruise outside of North America. So when the opportunity came to go across the pond, I jumped at the chance.

Royal Caribbean invited me to go to Finland to see Icon of the Seas in the shipyard, and I thought since I was going all the way over there, why not squeeze a cruise in too?

I found a 7-night cruise to the Norwegian fjords on Anthem of the Seas and it was one of the best cruises I've ever taken.

Between experiencing Europe and seeing the natural beauty of Norway, I was so impressed by the sailing from start to finish. I got to see a little bit of the United Kingdom, and including plenty of pints of beer in local pubs.

Then it was onto Norway, and a port intensive itinerary that took me to see fjords and a glacier. 

Just like Alaska, photos don't do Norway justice, and I loved how pretty the landscape was in each port. I loved it so much that I'm already planning to return in 2025 (and I'm inviting you to join me for it!).

If I had to pick one moment that stood out above the rest, it was taking an electric "troll car" up to the top of Geiranger to see the fjord. It was stunning.

Read more: 7 mistakes & 3 things I did right on my Royal Caribbean Norwegian fjords cruise

Staying in the biggest suite

I've stayed in plenty of suites before, but never in one as opulent and sprawling as the Royal Loft Suite.

I took my family on a quick weekend cruise on Allure of the Seas and stayed in the biggest suite on the ship, which is the Royal Loft Suite.

It measures 1,524 square feet and has two bedrooms, a dining room, and large living room. 

Then there's the 843 square foot balcony to go with it, which has a hot tub on it.

When you stay in a suite as large as this one that comes with as many perks as it does, you'll naturally want to spend as much time as possible in the cabin. From enjoying cocktails on the balcony to having meals delivered to the suite, it opened my eyes to how you can live life to its fullest in one of these suites.

We certainly don't need to stay in a suite to have a great cruise, but it was such a treat to try it out.

Visiting New England

I had a Canada and New England cruise on my must-try list for a while, and 2023 was the year I got to finally try it.

Sailing on Serenade of the Seas, I sailed out of Boston to ports in Nova Scotia, Canada and Maine.  I thought I was going to love Canada, but I didn't expect to enjoy Maine even more.

Between the food, beers, scenery, and the welcoming people, I think a cruise to the Atlantic maritime provinces is vastly underrated. 

Nova Scotia was beautiful and I enjoyed it, but I found I enjoyed Maine even more. The combination of quaint towns and beautiful parks really struck me, and I would love to go back again and try even more.

As a beer lover, this region did not disappoint. Every port had so many good choices. Grabbing a beer in port became just as important as the shore excursion I had planned.

My favorite moment from this cruise was exploring Bar Harbor. I went up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, saw fall foliage, and walked around the town. It was exactly what I envisioned when I first considered booking this cruise.

Read more: 7 things that surprised me on my first Canada & New England cruise

A luxurious day in Cabo

I'm always on the lookout for an exceptional shore excursion, and I found a real winner in Cabo San Lucas.

Along with a group of friends, we rented out a yacht for the day in port while visiting on Navigator of the Seas. It was luck that we stumbled upon the tour provider. It wasn't cheap, but what a way to spend the day!

In other ports mentioned in this article, I talked about the natural beauty and splendor of visiting those places. Cabo is certainly beautiful too, but this was just a really fun and enjoyable day spent on the water with friends. A good time was had by all.

The original plan was for the boat's crew to take us out to swim somewhere, but the ocean was so rough that day it wasn't possible. The Captain apologized for having to deviate, but we were having such a good time together that where we went was secondary.

It's a good reminder that time spent with friends and family on a cruise is more important than where you go. 

Trying Celebrity for the first time

For the first time in over a decade, I went on a cruise line that wasn't Royal Caribbean.

I took my first ever cruise on Celebrity Cruises in 2023 when I took the family on a Thanksgiving cruise on Celebrity Apex.

It felt like the right time to try a Celebrity cruise, and we picked out one of the newer ships in the fleet for an Eastern Caribbean trip.

Being on a different cruise line was exciting in itself, and I took pleasure in being a bit outside of my element. Certainly the core experience is the same, but it was nice to change things up a bit.

I also appreciated the aspects of the cruise Celebrity excelled at, including the variety of food on its menus, as well as the seating around the ship. Even just enjoying coffee in Cafe al Bacio was lovely.

Read more: I took my first Celebrity Cruise on a new ship. We had a great time, but I missed Royal Caribbean's entertainment