Monday, April 1, 2024

10 Tips You Need to Know Before Your First Cruise

royal caribbean cruise blog

Royal Caribbean is opened up the ability to book part of the epic 274 world cruise, beginning today for Crown and Anchor Society guests and friends and family of our ultimate world cruise guests. If 70% of the ship is already full, for example, there could be only a handful of cabins available for any particular segment. Therefore, if you’re daydreaming about that cruise to India or Patagonia, you should book the segment before it sells out completely. We also had a blast, met some great people, and just enjoyed a relaxing vacation. His heart attack made it impossible for him to continue doing the kind of work we had done over the past decade or so. I was still working part-time from home, so I had to wait until my project was mostly finished before I could call myself officially retired.

“Me” Time on Wonder of the Seas

I'm new to Royal Caribbean and tried 4 different kinds of cruise ships, here's what I like about each - Royal Caribbean Blog

I'm new to Royal Caribbean and tried 4 different kinds of cruise ships, here's what I like about each.

Posted: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

However, if the prices between a Royal Caribbean sailing and a Virgin Voyages sailing were similar, after the add-ons I would need to take into consideration with Royal, I would probably book with Royal first. I tend to be a creature of habit, and love knowing exactly what to expect with Royal. I also consider the ship part of the destination, and want to ensure that I can spend my sea days with fun things to do, and I know that I will find that on a Royal Caribbean ship. This was extremely disappointing to us, as we love to spend our sea days by and in the pool. Royal Caribbean has done a great job in ensuring that there is a lot of space on their pool decks, and especially with their newer ships, having enough pools to fit the needs of their crowds.

Make sure that you check in as soon as possible

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. 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!). 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.

Trying Celebrity for the first time

Because of the high demand for Bahamas and Caribbean cruises, Celebrity will begin visiting the region, with occasional stops at CocoCay. Royal Caribbean ships have hand sanitizer available to use, but most health experts agree washing your hands is a superior strategy. In the case of the Windjammer, many of the larger ships have hand washing stations as you enter the venue.

Sometimes, it cannot be done right away, and you’ll be told that you have to wait until after the ship has set sail. I did this while sailing onboard Liberty of the Seas and received clean glasses each day during my short 3-night cruise. Some guests have even reported that they had their personal rolls of toilet paper confiscated as they were boarding on embarkation day. Cruise ships feel like a self-contained city, with cabins, bathrooms, dining, activities, and pools all onboard. If you board a European cruise expecting tranquil days in port and no lines at tourist sites, you’re going to be disappointed.

Download the app

It was exactly what I envisioned when I first considered booking this cruise. 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. 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. I was inspired to think of the top five moments from my cruises this year and share them here.

Disembark your ship early on each port day to avoid crowds

This means that there are far fewer days at sea compared to "Africa & Greece," as this route has more sea days to catch up to the originally scheduled ports in Egypt and Greece. Earlier this month, the cruise line allowed those onboard to vote on their updated itinerary. They had two options, with the first being "Immersive Africa." Royal Caribbean apparently called this the "scenic route," whereas the second option, "Africa & Greece," was called "the highway." Instead of going through the Middle East, the MSC ships will sail with no passengers on board and go around Africa. While cruises in the Middle East do not constitute a major region for sailings, it's certainly impacting many lines and people's vacations.

They will honor the lower pricing in either the form of an onboard credit (if you paid your sailing off in full before the final payment date) or on the total statement balance. Reaching the mid to top-tiers of the loyalty program will unlock exclusive onboard benefits. These include complimentary daily beverages valued up to $14, free internet days, onboard discounts, complimentary photos, and even buy one, get one (BOGO) specialty dining. If you are able, try to book your dining and beverage packages before boarding. This ensures you lock in the lowest price, as you will find the prices to be higher once you step onboard.

Use Seattle airport’s port valet service when disembarking in Seattle

You will work to build a cruise ship, developing restaurants and staterooms. If you made it to the end of this article, chances are you’re already following our final tip on this list, and that is to read as many tips as you can about Alaska cruises before you set sail. One of the best ways to become acquainted with Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships is to watch a full tour of the ship on YouTube. On our YouTube channel, we have full, high definition tours of each Royal Caribbean ship sailing to Alaska.

Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis. Royal Caribbean will provide distilled water and an extension cord for a CPAP machine, free of charge, which was a blessing not having to fly with a gallon of water in your checked luggage. It doesn't take up much room in your suitcase and it comes in handy to keep you warm on the deck or at shows and to put over you head when it is windy. The crew’s ultimate goal is for you to have a great trip, and they’ll do whatever they can to make that happen.

Don't worry, you don't need to buy an internet package to use the Royal Caribbean app. Once you get onboard and connect to the ship's wifi, it will ask you if you want to just use the app. Plus, the Royal Caribbean app will have all of the activities for the day listed so that you can easily reference it during your sailing. A Royal Caribbean cruise is hands down my favorite type of vacation, and with so many years of going cruising, I have come across a lot of tricks and tips that really enhance my cruise. Or if you’re traveling with a homebody who prefers quiet evenings, don’t expect them to suddenly join you at every late-night event.

The difference is booking onboard will get you extra onboard credit and reduced deposit. We’ve tapped the experts who know cruising best, from crew members and captains to the heads of entertainment and dining. They come from nearly every corner of the world and have experienced every ship and hundreds of destinations.

This is another reason why layers are so important—you never know when you’ll need that t-shirt over your winter jacket. You’d be surprised by how many activities you can fit into a pre-cruise stay in Seattle or Vancouver. Even if you arrive at 3PM the day before your cruise, you will have around twenty hours in either city before embarkation begins. The 2024 Alaska cruise season is quickly approaching, and we’re sharing 24 of our most helpful Alaska cruise tips that you need to follow. Royal Beach Club will be a new type of shore excursion experience opening in 2025, exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests.

LitigatedLaureate added, "Aqua 80 is the best cruise ship show I've ever seen. Honestly I'd rather sit and watch Aqua80 over a fair amount of actual Broadway shows I've seen." Like all Aquatheater shows, it features a live performance of world-class acrobats, extreme sports athletes and divers set to music. Utopia of the Seas is the sixth Oasis Class cruise ship and launches this summer with an all-new show that follows up on arguably Royal Caribbean's best musical tribute show to date. You might be tempted to bring your own toilet paper or flushable wipes onboard as a workaround to the problem. Clogged plumbing is a common problem on cruises, and it's why crew members and signage repeatedly remind guests about what they can't flush, such as feminine hygiene items, tissues, or wipes.

royal caribbean cruise blog

With many itineraries between nights, the price per day makes the segments a great value. We don’t have any expectations for things to be much different than any other cruise. Other than the length and that some of our fellow passengers will come and go throughout the trip. There is already some level of disappointment due to current events and how those have changed our original itinerary, but it is perfectly understandable given the circumstances. Neither one of us had sailed with Royal Caribbean before, so we booked Junior Suites for three, five-day cruises out of Galveston in April 2023. The majority of the smaller segment itineraries are priced around $1,200 per person.

Portable ChargerIf staying connected is important, you can use the WiFi on board 24/7. Dinner WearDressing on board is pretty much come-as-you-are—you’re on vacation after all. For dinner, you can go casual (think jeans, T-shirts and sundresses), smart casual (a step up from casual, like collared shirts, blazers, dresses and blouses) or even formal (bust out the black tie!). We recommend keeping the swimwear, shorts, flip-flops and baseball caps for other parts of your day. You can go casual, smart casual or even formal for dinner, whether at the main dining room or specialty restaurants like the Asian-inspired Izumi.

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