A case of bad fog wreaked havoc with cruise ship operations on the west coast of Florida.

Heavy winter fog enveloped Tampa Bay on Saturday morning, forcing the closure of Port of Tampa Bay. This delayed docking of three of Royal Caribbean’s ships: 

• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas

The problem was the fog was too dense for safe navigation and thus that delayed each ship's arrival by at least eight hours.

The delay impacted both the sailings wrapping up and the next set of sailings scheduled to begin on Saturday.

Delayed ships

All three of the delayed ships are among the oldest in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Rhapsody of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, and Grandeur of the Seas are all Vision Class ships. Each is between roughly 73,800 and 82,900 gross tons, and they entered service in the mid to late 1990s.

• Rhapsody of the Seas: Returning from a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise, the ship was scheduled to begin a new 7-night voyage with calls to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Belize.
• Enchantment of the Seas: Returning from a 5-night cruise with two Mexican ports, slated for another 5-night sailing visiting Costa Maya and Cozumel.
• Grandeur of the Seas: Returning from a 7-night cruise and schedule for another week-long journey calling Cozumel, Belize, Roatán, and Costa Maya. 

For all three ships, instead of arriving in the early morning as planned, docking and disembarkation had to be delayed until late afternoon or early evening. 

For example, guests on Rhapsody of the Seas who originally had appointments to arrive at the terminal around 11:00 a.m. were notified they should now arrive around 7:00 p.m., with the latest arrival pushed to 9:30 p.m.

The impact was quite large considering people on the ship waiting to disembark and people waiting for the new sailing were impacted.

According to a statement shared by Port of Tampa Bay, "All Cruise Ships are delayed from entering port today due to fog in the bay."

Guests on Rhapsody of the Seas received an email from the cruise line informing them of the delay:

"Due to dense fog earlier today, our ship was delayed returning to Port Tampa Bay. As a result, the terminal will not be open for embarkation, and we will need to push back our boarding."

Similar notifications were sent to guests on the other two ships.

Later, Rhapsody of the Seas was given permission to enter the bay first. 

Fog is a long running seasonal problem in Tampa

If you've sailed from Tampa in the past, you may have heard of fog delays there.

Port of Tampa Bay is located at the northern end of the bay, about 30 miles from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and close to 40 miles from the bay’s mouth. 

Even in good weather, it takes 2.5–3 hours for a cruise ship to transit from open waters to the terminal.

When fog is dense, the port typically shuts down entirely until it's safe to resume operations. That means all marine traffic, including cruise ships and cargo vessels, are halted until visibility improves enough to ensure safe passage. 

On Saturday, that meant all three Royal Caribbean ships were stuck outside the bay until the afternoon.

Ships stuck waiting to enter the bay then run into a domino delay effect. When multiple ships are waiting to dock, it takes time not only to get each vessel in, but also to secure pilots, coordinate tugs, and ensure safe passage for all. 

The winter cruise season brings more ships than normal to Tampa, and turnaround day with three ships in port pile onto the delays. 

I'm a frequent cruiser on Royal Caribbean, and I've sailed on Star of the Seas five times. It's not only its newest ship but also it's most impressive.

New ships are incredible because they offer the latest and greatest features.  Whether or not you take advantage of everything is secondary to the fact it's great to have access to it all, if you so choose.

Since Star debuted in August 2025, I've figured out all the nuances of the ship.  But someone new to it should know a few things before boarding.

Here are the seven things I wish someone would have told me before I ever went on Star of the Seas to make it a better cruise.

The included restaurants are better than on other Royal Caribbean ships

There are so many different places to eat around Star of the Seas, and I was surprised by how good the included restaurants are.

Every Royal Caribbean ship has included and specialty restaurants. Usually the included restaurants are satisfactory, so you are easily tempted by the extra cost ones.

However, the included options on Star are so good that you can easily rely just on them.

Dining at Aquadome Market, Basecamp, Park Cafe, and Pearl Cafe are all good enough to keep me going all day.  Add to that the Windjammer buffet and the Main Dining Room, and I really don't think you will long as much for specialty restaurants as you would on other ships.

Don't get me wrong, the specialty restaurants are all really good too.  It's just the included food is that much better on Star.

To that point, I'd also add you should skip the Windjammer (and its crowds) on embarkation day.

You'll find really good alternatives at Aquadome Market or Basecamp with far fewer people to contend with.

Price is Right is pay to win

Royal Caribbean added the Price is Right game show to Star of the Seas as a new entertainment event onboard.

The game show offers guests the chance to win cash and prizes, similar to the television show.  However, there are some notable differences.

First and foremost, you have to pay if you want to play.  Before the show begins, you have the option of buying into the game.  Essentially, you buy entries towards the grand prize and that gets you into the game as a potential contestant.

• 1 entry: $15
• 2 entries: $25
• 6 entries: $60

If you don't buy in, you can't be called up to participate and you can't participate in any of the games.

Each item up for bid and game played relies on passengers using their phone to access a website and submit their bid or vote. Only those that paid to enter the game can truly participate.

It reminded me how bingo works on the ship in that respect.

When I played, there were easily over a 100 people that paid to participate.  This made it quite competitive with any of the audience voting.  

When an item was up for bid, you basically had to get the amount exactly right and fast. In the case of a tie, whoever put their price in fastest wins.  Most of the winning bids were submitted in under two seconds.

I had a lot of fun, but the cruise ship version is definitely not exactly what you remember on television.

Finding the dog is likely not going to happen

The top thing everyone I met on Star of the Seas wanted to see was the family dog that lives onboard, Sailor.

Royal Caribbean has captured the imagination of its cruisers by adding a dog to this ship.  However, the dog is not so easy to track down.

Real talk: you're probably not going to even see the dog, let alone meet her.

It seems they limit Sailor to interactions in uncrowded areas and at random times. This means, you're not going to see Sailor on the Royal Promenade or the pool deck.

In all my sailings on Star of the Seas, I've seen Sailor only once or twice.  On my recent sailing, she made a very brief appearance at the Top Tier event for Crown and Anchor Society members.

Based on photos I've seen from other passengers, it seems the only tried and true way to find Sailor is to stalk her relief pad on the jogging track. Sooner or later, she has to go there.  This doesn't sit well with me as a strategy, but so many photos I've seen of guests with Sailor are on the jogging track and that's not a coincidence.

Don't skip restaurants in Surfside because you don't have kids

The Surfside neighborhood is an area of the ship specifically designed for young families, but you shouldn't avoid it just because you don't have kids.

Sure, the arcade, Splashaway Bay, and the mini slide are probably not going to be of interest to you.  But you should still visit for the food.

There are three restaurants in Surfside that are vastly underrated and overlooked by too many cruisers:

• Surfside Eatery: family-friendly buffet
• Surfside Bites: grab-and-go comfort food
• Pier 7: specialty restaurant 

Surfside Eatery might be advertised as a "kids buffet" but there are a lot of food that adults will enjoy too.  Heck, on embarkation day they had the same filet mignon and lobster tails that the Windjammer had.

Plus, this buffet is far less crowded than the Windjammer.

I think Pier 7 is the most underrated restaurant on the ship.  It's almost hidden in the back of Surfside, and it serves up "California-inspired dishes," and I really like that there are different foods you won't usually find elsewhere on the ship.

If you pre-purchase Pier 7 on the Royal Caribbean app, you can get in for just $8.99 per person and it's well worth it at that price.

The shower is amazing, but the basket storage is disappointing

Two things stand out about most of the cabins on Star of the Seas.

First, I love the shower on Icon Class ships.  Royal Caribbean designed a larger than expected shower that has a seat in it too.

Other cruise ships typically have a "tube" design to their shower that feels constricted and tight.  

But the shower on Star of the Seas is one you'd actually want to spend more time in.

However, one design flaw in these staterooms are the choice of baskets for storage.

While there are drawers and a closet, you'll find a set of wire baskets too.  The issue is it puts its contents on display for anyone to see.  But worst of all, they make an awful sound when you pull or put back the basket as it slides against the wood.

The ship's layout makes it feel so much less crowded

If you've been on other cruise ships, then you know how crowded they can feel at times. But that's not really the case with Star of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean engineered the crowd flow so well that even with 2,500 kids onboard our Thanksgiving cruise, it was rare to truly find a crowd.

Having the Royal Promenade be two decks and fully loop really helped open up that space and keep people moving. The pool deck is also well designed, with three decks and smaller, separate pools that spread people out.

Plus, the destination elevators are a godsend.  You'll rarely wait for elevators and encounter even fewer crowded ones. This alone is one of the best quality of life changes I've seen on a cruise ship.

Don't expect the ship to feel like your own private yacht, but you can look forward to less lines than you might have had on other ships.

Some people really are bothered that there's no Solarium

I've heard from a number of readers that they missed having an enclosed adults-only pool area on Star.

Instead, the adults-only pool area are both outdoors at Swim & Tonic and The Hideaway.

Both pools are fun for different reasons, but each has a different vibe from the Solarium that you'd find on other Royal Caribbean ships.

Personally, it doesn't bother me because I'm not someone that ever spent much time in the Solarium.  But it seems to be a piece of feedback worth repeating since it's often mentioned after trying this ship.

Ever since Royal Caribbean made the Swim & Tonic adults-only, I didn't have as much of an issue with the adult spaces. I find Hideaway too loud and lacking shade, but I recognize I'm not the target demographic for that space.

I'll gladly go back on Star of the Seas anytime

Each time I've sailed on Star of the Seas I've come home thinking how much I loved this ship.

Like Icon of the Seas, this class of ship is truly outstanding and I think it's worthy of being called the very best in the world.

Yes, you'll pay a premium to sail on it, but the changes, innovations, and additions to Star make it easily my favorite.

What time should you pick to eat dinner on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship so you don't miss out on the best things to do onboard?

One of the first decisions you'll need to make when you book a cruise is what time you want to have dinner.

If you opt for Traditional Dinner (instead of My Time Dining), there are three seating times and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

I've found there isn't a single dinner time that is universally best, as it really depends on what your priorities are during the sailing.

Here are the recommendations for which dining time to pick, depending on what you prioritize the most.

Pick early dinner if you have kids or want to eat before everything happens

From the early days of cruising, early dinner has always been popular among families with younger children.

When my kids were younger, it was always advantageous to go to early dinner so you they could eat and then be dropped off at Adventure Ocean. Kids club opens at 7pm, so having dinner before heading there was the perfect timing.

Another advantageous of early dinner is you'll finish right in time for just about everything happening later that evening. 

If my dinner is at 5 or 5:30, I'm probably out of the Main Dining Room by 6:30pm or so, meaning I can see shows, bar performances, or any of the late night stuff.

The problem with early dinner is it eats into your afternoon.  

If you're the type of person that wants to shower and change before dinner, this means you'll likely need to be back in your stateroom to prepare by mid afternoon or so.  I found it cuts into the pool deck time or even some shore excursion plans.

Some people also complain early dinner is, well, too early.

Pick middle dinner if you want your late afternoons back

Royal Caribbean added the "goldilocks dinner" option last year as a way to give passengers more choice in when they eat.

For anyone that thought early dinner was too early and late dinner was too late, middle dinner is right inbetween. 

There are two advantages to middle dinner that I can see.

First, you can enjoy more of your afternoon plans compared to early dinner, especially when you have a full day of touring in port.

When I'm on an Alaska cruise or European cruise, many days we'd get back to the ship and not have enough time to get ready for an early dinner. And of course, we'd feel famished if we waited for late dinner.

Second, middle dinner means you get the benefits of Traditional Dinner without having to go to My Time Dining.  

Many cruisers would pick MTD because they wanted a middle ground of dining times. But there are some inherent benefits to Traditional Dinner.  Now there's no compromise.

The problem with middle dinner is the evening shows don't usually line up for middle dinner and cause a conflict.

Royal Caribbean traditionally has scheduled its evening shows around early and late dinner times, so middle dinner means you're going to have to get creative on seeing the featured shows onboard.

It doesn't mean you can't see shows, but it might be more difficult to plan around dinner and entertainment.

Pick late dinner if you'd rather see shows and then eat

When I first started cruising, I'd always pick late dinner for two reasons: early dinner was too early and it meant we could enjoy entertainment before dinner.

Typically the evening show schedules are arranged such that there are two show times per night, with an early and late show that compliment the early and late dinner.

With late dinner, we could enjoy our afternoon and then transition into evening fun before heading to dinner. That would mean a show, dinner, and then late night fun afterwards.

There's no question late dinner is better for not compromising on your afternoon, and it works well for getting to start your night with fun things.

As I got older, I started to dislike coming out of dinner at around 10pm and feeling like all that was left was late night activities. I preferred having more of the evening in front of me to look forward to after dinner.

I always pick early dinner because it opens up my evening

From a simplicity standpoint, I pick early dinner for my cruises.

Yes, eating at 5pm isn't my personal favorite time to eat dinner, but I think the advantage of having shows fit into my schedule is worth it.  

Plus, I like getting out of dinner and feeling like I have a lot of time still to enjoy what's happening around the ship.

As I mentioned, I started off doing late dinner when I was younger to avoid eating too early and getting more time in port or at the pool.  But I've shied away from it because I didn't want to get out of dinner at 10pm and feel like my night was over.

16 years ago today, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas had its maiden sailing, and the cruise industry has never been the same sine.

Royal Caribbean had already introduced a game changing ship with Voyager of the Seas about a decade earlier. The Voyager Class proved there was a market for big ships with "I can't believe they put that on a cruise ship" features.

Royal Caribbean was far from done pushing boundaries, as it wanted to build something even bigger, grander, and more of a spectacle.

Today, Oasis of the Seas is one of many cruise ships that fit into the megaship class.  But in 2009, she was one-of-a-kind and instantly changed the cruise industry forever.

A cruise ship unlike any other before it

It's difficult to appreciate today just how different Oasis of the Seas was from other ships that came before it.

Oasis of the Seas had her maiden voyage on December 5, 2009 and was instantly the world's largest cruise ship by a factor previously unseen.

Before Oasis entered service, Liberty of the Seas was the biggest in the world.  Oasis was more than 40 percent larger, coming in at 225,282-tons and accommodating 5,400 passengers.

The ship was big and so was its ambitions. Oasis had innovative and revolutionary features that are common place today.  But at the time, they were ground breaking.

Just looking at Oasis, you'd instantly notice its split superstructure that created wide open interior spaces. 

The ship started out with the name "Project Genesis," and the designers wanted to try things never before done at sea. The taller and wider you build a conventional ship, the more interior spaces need to be lighted and air-conditioned.  So they devised a "split hull" design

This opened the back of the ship up to form room for the Boardwalk, as well as an open-air park featuring 12,000 plants in Central Park.

This was the first cruise ship to have "neighborhoods". Seven in total, they helped with crowd control and providing context for where passengers are on the ship.

There were four pools, which was once again a first for a cruise ship. Two of the pools were made to feel like a beach, with sloped entries you can walk into just as if you were walking into the ocean. 

The Aquatheater on the back of the ship is an outdoor amphitheater, hosting a water ballet and diving shows that feature professional divers who will jump from as high as 72 feet up. Yet another feature that has become not only synonymous with the brand, but has been copied onto other ships.

Plus, Oasis introduced the concept of having a full Broadway show onboard. "Hairspray" was performed in the theater, and was another incredible feat to offer on a cruise ship.

At launch, Oasis of the Seas had 25 restaurants and 37 bars. There were 9 specialty restaurants, ranging from $4.95 at Johnny Rockets to the $75 for Chef’s Table.

150 Central Park was a brand new concept, where you could pay $35 to enjoy a ten-course tasting menu by Chef Keriann Von Raesfeld, a 23-year old “culinary phenom” that was hired by Royal Caribbean as its own kind of celebrity chef.

Even cruise ship staterooms were changed with Oasis. It had 37 different categories and unique offerings such as the new loft suites, which were a duplex idea that had 18-foot windows looking out to the ocean. 

Also new was the idea of balcony cabins that faced inwards, instead of out to the ocean.  Central Park and Boardwalk balcony cabins were avant garde.

Royal Caribbean also came up with innovative ways to conserve energy and reduce pollution.

Oasis was built with a state-of-the-art electric propulsion system powered by high-efficiency diesel generators. Each used 30% less fuel per passenger than any other ship before it.

There were also solar panels on top of the ship, and inside there were compact fluorescents and LED lighting. The cruise line boasted Oasis cost 40% less to operate than older ships.

How Oasis of the Seas changed cruise ships

Looking back, Oasis of the Seas created the "destination ship" concept. It was the first time the ship was what vacationers sought as much as the places it visited.

Oasis fundamentally changed expectations for what a cruise could offer, pushing other lines to innovate and compete.

For a while, the Oasis Class ships were essentially competing with themselves. It took the rest of the industry years to come up with their own megaships, and by then, Royal Caribbean had already evolved the original into many other forms.

Oasis cemented the idea that a cruise ship should have something for every age group, not just "family friendly" features sprinkled around. It can be argued Oasis shifted the perception of a cruise from "a relaxing week at sea" to "a full vacation akin to a floating resort."

Equally importantly, this ship validated the economy of scale of having such a big ship. Before 2009, the cruise industry wasn't certain a ship with over 5,000 passengers could be commercially viable. 

By having larger ships that dispersed crowds effectively, you could deliver higher onboard revenue.

Once proven, Royal Caribbean continued to push forward with bigger ships, such as the Icon Class.

Other cruise lines also leaned into the trend. 

Norwegian came up with the Breakaway and Breakaway-Plus Class ships that offered outdoor promenades. MSC created its World Class ships that look a lot like the Oasis Class. Carnival eventually expanded into Excel Class with more district-style planning.

Looking back, Oasis wasn't just another ship class.  It altered the company's outlook that is still in use today of bold innovation, memory making experiences, and an unrivaled experience you'd struggle to find on land.

Hiding rubber ducks on a cruise is one of the hottest trends among families today, but it's taken a step forward with a new app.

When I sailed on Star of the Seas, I expected plenty of kids to be scouring the ship for ducks. Cruise ducks are easily the fastest growing and most popular guest-driven activity.

The idea is simple: hide ducks around the ship for others to find. If you find one, you can either keep it or opt to hide it again for someone else to find.

Hiding ducks on cruise ships has become so popular that there's now an app.

It's like Waze for hiding ducks

My youngest daughter has been caught up in the duck hiding craze, and she usually spends some time each day looking for them.

But I noticed at some point in the cruise she and a number of other kids duck hunting while looking at their devices.  You could easily overlook this as kids multitasking watching social media, but they were using their phone to find the ducks.

In fact, a lot of kids on my cruise had the Sea Ducks app downloaded on their phone to make hiding and finding ducks more fun. It's available for both iPhone and Android devices.

The app is far more sophisticated than I expected, as it allows them to identify which sailing they are on and use it give hints and mark when ducks are found.

According to the app, 294 people were registered for our particular sailing on Star of the Seas. Assuming they were all kids, our sailing had 2,500 people under the age of 18 years old onboard because it was a Thanksgiving cruise. That means over 10% of the kids had this app and were using it.

More astounding was the app recorded over 1,100 ducks were hidden on this sailing with the aid of the app.

Those hiding a duck with the aid of the app can establish which deck and side of the ship it's on.  

They can also provide a text hint and a photo to make it easier for others to locate it.

I was impressed by the sophisticated advanced features like adding a PIN so you can identify the individual duck or hiding your entry for specific users.

Once the duck is spotted, someone with the app can take a photo and mark the duck found.

The kids definitely had a sense of satisfaction not only finding the duck, but marking it complete.  It reminds me a lot of the Waze traffic app, where people report police cars, construction, stalled vehicles and more.

There is even a leaderboard that shows who has found the most ducks so far, and it builds a sense of competition to it.

I think the appeal is it elevates what is usually a solitary activity among your own family to something everyone can compete in.  Plus, it makes it easier to know when there are more ducks hidden.

It's quite common in Facebook groups to see people posting if anyone has hidden any ducks because they or their kids want to know if it's worth going out to search for them.

Why do people hide rubber ducks on cruise ships?

To the unindoctrinated, finding and hiding tinny rubber ducks seems like the epitome of silliness. That is, until you've tried it.

It's a cruise trend that grew out of something wholesome and perfect for passengers of all ages.

The story goes a 10-year-old girl named Abby went on a spring break cruise in 2018 with 50 rubber ducks to try to make other passengers smile.

The idea took off, and a Facebook group was created to help spread the fun.  It's something toddlers, school-aged kids, teens, and adults can enjoy at the same time.  The barrier for entry is low, but the fun factor is high.

Now, hiding ducks is on every Royal Caribbean cruise I've ever taken.

The activity is totally guest-driven. It's just a lot of cruise ship passengers eager to join in on the fun.

The cruise line does not condone, encourage, or facilitate it at all.  The exception is Royal Caribbean has prohibited hiding ducks in one place.

Earlier this year, signs began to appear in planters asking guests not to hide ducks in or around any of its plants.

"Please help us protect our plants," the sign reads, "This is a duck free zone. Please don't hide ducks in Central Park." 

Central Park is a neighborhood on Oasis and Icon Class ships that features trees, shrubs, and other plants. On Icon of the Seas, for example, there are over 33,000 plants. 

I was surprised when Royal Caribbean informed me that my 5-night Freedom of the Seas cruise would be re-routed to Carnival's private port.

Amber Cove is Carnival's "exclusive port" in the Dominican Republic, located close to Taino Bay.

I've had itinerary changes in the past, but I've never heard of a Royal Caribbean ship visiting a rival port. Not only was it unusual, but I had never been to any Carnival private area.

While surreal, my visit to Amber Cove was a fun experience where I was surprised five times.

It's not run at all by Carnival

Upon arrival at Amber Cove, it became clear a private port run by Carnival is not like a Royal Caribbean private island.

While Carnival owns the port, it leases out everything and it's all run by third party vendors.

I expected to see far more Carnival branding, but was surprised to not find much.

Since the shops, restaurants, and bars are all operated by independent vendors, it felt less like "Carnival land" and more like a port of call that just happens to be owned by Carnival.

Unlike Perfect Day at CocoCay, there was no army of crew members descending from the cruise ship to staff the island.  

Also, anything you paid for required cash or credit card.  I was concerned I might be at a disadvantage because I didn't have a cruise card from a Carnival ship.  But when I went to the swim-up bar in the pool to get a drink, I was able to use my phone's tap to pay option.

One of the biggest takeaways that while Amber Cove is owned by Carnival, it didn't feel like an extension of the cruise line.

Cabanas were cheap

After the announcement was made we'd go to Amber Cove, I reached out to my friends at Eat Sleep Cruise for a recommendation of what to do there. They recommended I rent a cabana.

Unfortunately, there were no advanced reservations available to be made on the ship. So I had to wait and see what was left to rent once I arrived.

Amber Cove has a few different cabanas you can rent, somewhat similar to Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee. Over the water, hill top, and pool cabanas were some of the options.

When I asked about renting a cabana, I was told I could get one of the over the water cabanas for just $500.

I was astounded by how low a price this was, considering cabanas at Royal Caribbean's private destinations can easily cost two to three times that.

The water slide they had for an extra cost was also quite inexpensive, at just $6 per person for unlimited rides.

While I can't comment how close the quality of the cabanas are to Royal Caribbean's (I didn't think I needed a cabana for just myself cruising solo), the pricing difference was rather notable.

There's no beach

I knew Amber Cove had a pool, but I couldn't believe there wasn't a beach.

Amber Cove has plenty of shore excursions you can take to take you to a nearby beach. Unlike CocoCay or Labadee, you're not relegated to just the port.

I think the rationale may simply be there are so many beautiful beaches in and around Puerto Plata, Carnival felt let folks take a quick trip if that's what they desire.

Instead, Amber Cove has a resort-style pool with swim-up bar, waterslides, a lazy river and plenty of lounge chairs.

It's clear Taino Bay copied Amber Cove

After realizing Amber Cove isn't that similar at all to CocoCay, I saw more similarities to Taino Bay.

Our cruise visited Taino Bay the day before, which is the port in Puerto Plata Royal Caribbean cruise ships usually visit.

Amber Cove opened in 2015, but Taino Bay opened in 2021. 

• Both have a complimentary pool and lazy river
• Both have lots of independent restaurants and bars
• Both have souvenir shops run by third parties
• Both offer shore excursions to the outside area

In my opinion, the folks that designed and built Taino Bay took a lot of inspiration from Amber Cove.  I'm not saying they straight out copied it, but the similarities are there.

While Taino Bay's lazy river feels more like a lazy river than Amber Cove's version, Amber Cove doesn't feel like a giant maze and is far easier to navigate.

It's a lot less like any Royal Caribbean private island than I expected

The biggest surprise to me is how much Amber Cove isn't like CocoCay.

Up until my visit there, I only had the context of Royal Caribbean's private operations. So I anticipated something more akin to a day there.

Instead, Amber Cove felt more like Costa Maya or Taino Bay than Labadee. If you've been to Falmouth in Jamaica, that might also be a better comparison.

I can see the advantages for Carnival to run it this way.  They get to make money from the lessees that do all the work and operate everything and don't have to commit manpower to make it happen.

That being said, I didn't get much of a Carnival vibe from the port.  When I'm at CocoCay, it feels like an extension of my Royal Caribbean ship.  I can't say I felt the same about Amber Cove.

In the end, I had a great time on my visit. 

It was a beautiful day and the pool was a lot of fun. Plus, I got to enjoy Nathan's hot dog and french fries for lunch!

I'm not daydreaming of returning, but at least now I know what to expect if I ever did.

If you've tried repricing a Royal Caribbean cruise lately, you may have had a harder time to get it done and it's not just you.

Royal Caribbean has offered the ability for guests to reprice their cruise if there's a lower price later, but many have reported the process has suddenly become more difficult.

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, gi333 posted, "Is it normal that Royal Caribbean doesn’t want to reprice as it is only for new bookings?"

"I called Royal directly and i was told the same information. Flash Sales are not eligible for reprice."

Their experience has been similar to others who have reported issues with getting the reprice to be honored.  

It appears the cruise line has changed the terms and conditions to make it more difficult, but not impossible to take advantage of a price drop.

A Reddit user claiming to "work in the pre-cruise department" of Royal Caribbean answered questions about the changes to repricing.

"Repricing is being restricted"

The cruise line employee offered to answer questions about anything related to promotions and booking creation, to which the question of what the current procedure is regarding repricing a booking.

The user responded, "managers are confirming that repricing is being restricted, and most sales now state new bookings only."

He recommends booking refundable fare to get around the change, "If you want price protection, the best strategy is to book early with a refundable deposit. You may also monitor fares and act quickly before final payment."

The problem with booking refundable fare is how much more it costs to book refundable fare instead of non-refundable fare.

Similar to airfare, refundable comes at a significantly higher cost.

He went on to explain the change is related to how the price is advertised, "Before final payment you can only reprice if the lower fare is not marked new bookings only. Many promotions now say new bookings only so they don’t apply."

"Most sales that I’m seeing today are for new bookings only, so existing reservations usually can't be adjusted."

"If new sale is marked new bookings only we cannot reprice. If it’s the same promo code and your category qualifies, and you’re before final payment, you can reprice your reservation."

He also added, "After final payment date no repricing allowed but we can upgrade your stateroom." From my personal experience, I haven't seen that to be the case.

Royal Caribbean has not issued any sort of official guidance on a general policy change, as terms and conditions for individual promotions are always disclosed in the fine print.

How to reprice a cruise

Depending on a few conditions, you can re-price a cruise.  

You must be a resident of select countries (US, Canada and others).  For example, residents of the UK cannot reprice due to local laws.

Second, you must find a lower price for the exact same stateroom category code as you had booked. 

Lastly, you must be before the final payment date. If you spot the same promo code and your category qualifies, and you’re before final payment, you can reprice your reservation.

Unfortunately, a last-minute price drop after the final payment date does not qualify.

Finding a lower price is up to the guest, as the cruise line will not notify you of a price drop.

At that point, you have to call Royal Caribbean (or your travel agent if you booked with them) to ask for a reprice.

Use a travel agent to make it easier

My best advice for managing your reservation, including taking advantage of price drops, is to use a good travel agent instead of booking directly with the cruise line.

A good travel agent should cost you nothing extra (Royal Caribbean pays them a commission) and they take care of working with the cruise line to adjust the cruise fare.

Beci Mahnken is the owner of MEI Travel, and talked about repricing now, "Royal Caribbean’s new ‘bookings only’ policy for offers creates challenges for travelers who expect value throughout the life of their reservation. When existing guests can no longer benefit from a lower rate later in the booking cycle, it may shift when and how people choose to book."

"Travel advisors work hard to build trust and loyalty, and consistency in pricing protections is a key part of that experience. I sincerely hope they re-evaluate this trend for the sake of both guests and long-term loyalty."

The anonymous Royal Caribbean manager from the Reddit post admitted travel agents, "can add significant value through perks and personalized services."

"TAs often lock in rates months or even years in advance for a block of staterooms. These rates stay fixed even if Royal raises prices later."

"Group rates stay locked so when public rates spike, your TA rate looks much better."

While sailing on the biggest cruise ship in the world, I tried out a food hack that really improved a favorite snack.

Star of the Seas has so many great restaurants that cost nothing extra, but adding flavor to enhance them is an idea I saw on Tiktok to try.

Two of the restaurants are great on their own: Surfside Bites and El Loco Fresh.  But what if you combined the two?

The idea is simple, but I was impressed how good the end result was after trying it.

Here's how it works and why you should give it a whirl.

Hot and spicy popcorn chicken

Surfside Bites is located within the family neighborhood of Star of the Seas. Frankly, too many people avoid Surfside because they don't have kids and they're missing out on some good eats.

The food hack is to take the basket of popcorn chicken and then top it off.

I went to Surfside, which is right in the middle of the neighborhood near the carousel. 

There are just a few items on the menu, but the idea is to quickly grab it and be on your way.

I ordered a basket of popcorn chicken as the start.  The popcorn chicken is pretty good on its own, but because it's aimed at kids, flavor is at a minimum.

What I mean is the food is good, but I like some kick to my popcorn chicken.  

I took the basket and headed up to deck 15 and stopped at El Loco Fresh. It's not a short distance, but because of how well the destination elevators work on Star of the Seas, it's probably only a few minutes to get there.

El Loco Fresh is another included restaurant that has Mexican food for a quick meal.

I walked past all the tacos, burritos, and quesadillas on the buffet and right to the salsa bar.

The food hack is to grab your favorite hot sauce.  Royal Caribbean provides a few different hot sauces of varying heat levels.

My favorite hot sauce is the Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce, but you can certainly pick whichever you like best.

Pour the hot sauce on the chicken as liberally as you prefer. 

Then grab the ends of the paper the chicken comes in, close it up, and shake it up so the hot sauce gets applied evenly.

I was skeptical how much different the chicken would be just from the hot sauce.

The result is hot popcorn chicken and I was impressed how much better it tasted. Adding more flavor really kicked it up a notch.

I then added to the spice level by adding jalapeño peppers from the toppings bar and it was the best bar snack I've had in a while!

You could go crazy and add the various toppings to make it your own hack.

The only downside to this hack is the distance between Surfside and El Loco Fresh. The elevators make it easier, but it's not quite as close as I would have liked.

Almost as good as the first food hack I tried on this ship

I was inspired to find a new food hack after running across my first one earlier this year.

While on the first sailings of Star of the Seas, I heard about an idea to combine two foods that sounded too good to be true.

In this case, it was at Basecamp and to start with the tater tots. Just like the popcorn chicken, they're served in a basket and fine on their own.

Basecamp is even closer to El Loco Fresh than Surfside.  There's just a short walk down a nearby staircase, so it's quite convenient.

Once at El Loco Fresh, top the tater tots with hot sauce, salsa, or anything else you like.

I was worried it might make the tots too soggy, but since I was eating it almost immediately, it wasn't a problem.  Plus the toppings made it taste so much better.

The key is to try to eat it while the tater tots are still warm.  Once they cool down, I don't think the tots aren't nearly as good.

I had a great time sailing on the world's largest cruise ship for 7-nights, but I couldn't help but notice others onboard made mistakes that could have been avoided.

It's not my job to correct anyone on the ship, but the cruise writer in me naturally notices when these faux pas' occur.  I assume it's like how a marketing executive might always internally critique how other businesses advertise.

Some of these mistakes are typical for first time cruisers, while others are ones that anyone could have made.  Regardless, I wanted to highlight these so you can be aware of them now to avoid making them yourself!

Here are the six mistakes I saw other cruisers make while I was on Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas this past week.

The gym had so many people not knowing the rules

I try to take advantage of the fitness center on any Royal Caribbean ship once or twice per sailing because their equipment is so much better than my home gym.  

I pre-booked a fitness trainer to help guide me through a workout, but he had to talk to no less than five or six other guests in less than an hour about the gym rules.

The number one mistake guests made was not wearing the proper footwear.  Royal Caribbean's rules are anyone in the gym must be wearing shoes.  Flip flops, sandals, Crocs, or Uggs don't count as acceptable footwear.

Proof Matt was in the fitness center

This rule is in place for safety reasons, and each of these people were asked to halt their workout and go put on shoes.

The other mistake were underage guests using the gym. The fitness center is for adults, although teens may use it.

In the cast of teens, they need to get a permission paper signed by their parent authorizing them to use it under the guidance of their parent.  

Younger kids are not allowed to use the gym.

I think some people missed the ship in one port

On our visit to Costa Maya, Mexico, it's clear half a dozen passengers either were late or missed the ship.

We had odd hours in port, 7:30am to 1:30pm, so while it's not typical port times, it's not an excuse for ignorance.

As the all aboard time came and went, Star of the Seas blew its horn multiple times and then there were two different announcements over the public address system asking certain people to go to Guest Services if they are onboard.

Being left behind at a port is probably one of the worst cruise mistakes you can make, so the key is to manage your time closely.

I always plan to return to the port at least 1-2 hours before all aboard time to assure any traffic or bathroom breaks do not make us late.

Also, be sure to set your phone or watch to ship time. I turn off automatic time zone changes on my phone to prevent confusion with this.

If you're ever confused what time it is on the ship, the Royal Caribbean app always has the time in the top corner.

Paid too much for the drink package

When I see a passenger buying a Royal Caribbean drink package on the ship, I shake my head in disbelief because of how much they overpaid for it.

I don't have a problem with anyone buying a drink package, but it costs significantly more on the ship. Like almost double.

There are so many sales and opportunities before the cruise begins to buy a drink package at a discounted cost that there's simply no excuse for waiting to buy it onboard.

I suspect many that do purchase it on the ship might either do so impulsively or after they realize they do indeed want it to cap their drink spending.  Everyone's allowed to change their mind, but if you're on the fence about it, go ahead and pre-purchase it and save yourself hundreds of dollars later.

Skipped Surfside because they didn't have kids

If you sail on Icon of the Seas or Star of the Seas and avoid Surfside completely because you don't have kids, you are missing out on some great food options!

I get it, you think Surfside is just for families and young kids and you're imagining the IKEA ball pit room multiplied by a factor of 10, but it's worth going there for the restaurants.

Pier 7 is vastly underrated as a great and inexpensive specialty restaurant.

Considering you can pre-book brunch there for just $8 and kids under 12 eat free, I think it's worth a reservation.  Plus, they have some really good food choices you can't get elsewhere.

Equally compelling is Surfside Eatery.  It's considered the "kids buffet", but they have a lot of food adults would want too.  

On embarkation day, they had a much less crowded buffet with lobster and filet mignon! 

Lost out on casino free play

Did you know Royal Caribbean's casino gives everyone a few dollars to gamble for free?

It's just a few dollars, and it's meant as an incentive to get you in the casino and try your luck.  They're hoping a few spins is enough to compel you to put your own money in too.  But with the right amount of self control, you might hit it big.

Plus, if you gamble with your free play in the first 48 hours of the sailing, you get a bonus free play of an additional two dollars.

You're right to think it's not a lot, but I'll take free money to gamble with any day.  It's "use it or lose it".

One person flagrantly cheated the service animal rule

One family on my cruise almost certainly cheated Royal Caribbean's service animal allowance and it bothered me so much because their selfish act not only is wrong, but it diminishes the important role real service dogs serve.

To be fair, I don't know for a fact this dog wasn't a service animal, but the vest the dog had on was just about the cheapest "vest" I've ever seen.  Plus, on some days it didn't have the vest on at all.

I also noticed the dog was leading the person on the leash and consistently sniffing around as it walked.  

I could be completely wrong, but it left me (and others) in disbelief this was a service animal. This isn't the first time I've seen a so-called service dog on a ship and doing things service animals shouldn't be doing.  

Emotional support animals are not allowed, and neither are regular pets. I love dogs, but the rules are in place for a reason, and buying a service animal vest on Amazon doesn't make your pet a service dog.