Book Early + Reprice Often
This is probably the easiest way that youll save money on your Royal Caribbean cruise. When new itineraries are released, the cheapest cabins will get booked first.
Consider booking a stateroom that best fits your budget as early as you can. This locks in a price and ensures you won’t be spending money on a more expensive cabin. Of course, some people want to splurge on a balcony or suite experience. Others prefer to book the cheapest cabin possible to save money. Either way, you’ll benefit from booking early and repricing often to ensure you have the lowest price.
With Royal Caribbeans Best Price Guarantee Program, you can reprice your cruise as many times as you want. If you see a price thats lower than you paid for the same sailing and cabin, just call Royal Caribbean and they will refund you the difference. You can take advantage of this program up to final payment date.
Ive saved up to $1,500 by taking a little time to reprice my stateroom on Royal Caribbeans website here and there. When I see the price has dropped, I simply call the cruise line and ask for a reprice most of the time, this is a quick and painless process.
Just recently, I upgraded our stateroom on an upcoming reservation from an inside cabin to a balcony guarantee and saved $500! In my opinion, checking the current promotion and pricing for your upcoming cruise is the quickest way you can save a lot of money.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Guide
In the last 10 years, Royal has delivered the biggest and most modern ships in the market. From rock-climbing walls, crazy water slides and infinite food selection, Royal Caribbean continues to deliver a vacation of a lifetime.
Stemming from the idea that everybody should cruise, Royal offers cruise activities such as the Flowrider Surf simulator and Zip-lining for active vacationers, as well as the adults-only Solarium for those who simply want to relax and unwind.
In 2019, Royal Caribbean revamped their private Island, presenting Perfect Day at CocoCay as a new port of call in many of their Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. This hidden island features an overwhelming number of activities such as the Daredevils Tower Aqua Park, Splash Summit, the Wave Pool and more!
The line also holds the distinction of debuting the Central Park and the Royal Promenade neighborhoods, two distinct areas found in many Royal ships, where guests can find many eateries, shops, bars and live entertainment throughout the day.
Book Your Cruise Deals But Be Vigilant
Royal Caribbean makes it hard to know when you’re getting the best deal. A good travel agent will keep track of the price of your cruise fare and make the needed changes if the price goes down.
But, when it comes to “Cruise Planner” purchases, it’s really all on you. Some people will buy something, then cancel it and purchase it again for even a slight price drop. You can do that, but the problem is that it takes a few weeks for your refund to process. So, if you buy and cancel multiple times, you can end up with a lot of money tied up in the process.
In most cases, if you get a deal you’re happy with it’s best to sort of be content with that unless the price really drops.
Royal Caribbean’s Black Friday sales are going on now and generally run through Thanksgiving weekend .
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Rci’s Shipboard Dreamworks Experience Program
“DreamWorks Experience” was a family-themed program via a partnership between Royal Caribbean International and Amblin Partners . Universal Pictures is the distributor of the DreamWorks movie productions through its subsidiary company Touchstone Pictures.
RCI’s DreamWorks programming featured 3D movies and DreamWorks characters meets-and-greets. It was introduced in June 2010 and terminated in March 2019. This new entertainment program was geared toward families and offered DreamWorks movie-themed activities on only 9 RCI ships . The list of such activities included:
- DreamWorks characters meetings and greetings . The list of characters included Po , Shrek, Fiona, Puss , Alex, Gloria, King Julien, penguins .
- Character Breakfasts were offered in the Main Dining Room restaurant.
- 3D DreamWorks movie screenings were available in the Royal Theater , including first-run movies which premiered on the ship were on the same day they went at land-based theaters. Among the films were “Shrek”, “Madagascar”, “How to Train Your Dragon”, “Kung Fu Panda”.
- DreamWorks channel was part of the in-cabin TV programming.
- Themed activities and games included 3D animation workshops, storytime, themed dance parties, character story-based adventure games, regular character visits to kids facilities, onboard parades, meet-and-greets with photo ops .
- DreamWorks shows were available in Studio B and AquaTheater .
Tui Royal Caribbean Enlarge Jv To Include Hapag
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With the acquisition of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises by TUI Cruises, TUI Group and its partner Royal Caribbean Cruises are planning to grow their luxury, expedition and premium cruise segments and to attract new target audiences for luxury cruise products, the companies announced today as TUI Cruises acquired Hapag-Lloyd.
The expansion of the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises brand will be at the core of this strategy, according to a statement
A contract signed in Hamburg today values Hapag-Lloyd Cruises at 1.2 billion euros. The closing of the transaction is expected for this summer. Under the joint venture profit-sharing agreement TUI will report 50 percent of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises earnings.
The integration of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in the joint venture will allow TUI to participate in global cruise industry growth at a low level of capital expenditure, according to a press release.
With the transaction, TUI and Royal Caribbean Cruises have agreed to further expand their partnership by using the proven joint venture structure of TUI Cruises also for the luxury and expedition cruise segment.
The ships identities, service, quality and customer experience will remain as individual and unique as they are today. This will create significant advantages for the Group, for our expansion and for our investments, explained TUI CEO Fritz Joussen.
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Royal Caribbean Cruise Prices Vary Wildly
The cruise line has a variety of sales on cruise fares. They include:
- Instant Savings: This offers up to $600 off, depending upon the length of your cruise and the cabin you book .
- 30% Off Every Guest: A fairly simple offer, the savings get applied at checkout.
- Kids Sail Free: Kids means 12 and under, and the children in question must be staying in the same room as two qualifying adults.
All of those seem nice, but to know what you’re actually saving you would have had to be tracking the price for that cruise before these sales. Cruise prices vary wildly based on demand/sales for each cruise.
Any of these promotions might be a good deal, but in some cases, you’re not really saving any money. “Kids Sail Free” usually offers the best deal because in a normal case you pay the same for the third or fourth person being in a room as you did for the first two.
For an in-depth breakdown of these deals .
Foods Cooking Diets And Health
If youre planning on going on a cruise, youll probably be wondering what food is included on board. The good news is, all of it is! That is, except for some drinks. Royal Caribbean provides a variety of free beverages to their guests. In addition to these drinks, there is also free coffee. But is the coffee really free? The answer depends on the cruise line.
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Royal Caribbean Loyalty Program
Royal Caribbean has a point-based frequent cruiser program, the Crown & Anchor Society, that has six tiers ranging from Gold to Pinnacle Club .
Members earn points for every night they sail on one of the lines ships, with double points awarded to passengers staying in suites. To hit the first tier, Gold, takes one cruise. Reaching the second tier, Platinum , would take five cruises if youre doing seven-night trips .
Lower tiers dont bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. Youll get things like priority check-in and a private departure lounge with Continental breakfast at the end of a trip. But higher levels of the program start to be enticing.
The second-to-highest tier, Diamond Plus , brings Concierge Club access, priority seating at onboard shows, an exclusive number to call for bookings and reduced rates for solo travelers, plus other things. The top Pinnacle Club level brings free cruises after hitting key milestones.
Note that, in contrast to airline frequent flyer programs, cruise line loyalty programs do not require you to requalify for status every year. So, yes, the perks with lower tiers arent great. But its not as difficult as it might at first seem to hit the more rewarding higher level tiers in just a few years if youre cruising a lot.
A passenger staying in suites could get to the Diamond Plus level with just 13 seven-night cruises. Take a few longer voyages, like a transatlantic sailing, and you could reach it even sooner.
Signature Activities And Games
Royal Caribbean offers fun and unique signature activities onboard its cruise ships, the majority of which are included in your cruise fare. If you watch any Royal Caribbean cruise commercial, you will inevitably see people tackling the FlowRider, rock climbing wall, skydiving simulator, and more.
Signature activities included in your cruise fare include the FlowRider, rock climbing wall, mini golf, waterslides, zipline, the Ultimate Abyss, sports court, SeaPlex, bumper cars, aqua parks , and ice skating.
RipCord by iFLY, the skydiving simulator found on Quantum Class ships, has both complimentary and extra cost options available. Complimentary time slots often get reserved quickly, so its important to reserve a time slot in the Royal Caribbean app as soon as you get onboard the ship.
Also on Quantum Class ships is the North Star observation pod. This activity is complimentary on port days and comes with an extra cost when the ship is at sea.
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Review Of Royal Caribbean
RCI is a subsidiary company and largest brand of RCG . This Norwegian-American corporation is currently ranked the world’s second-largest passenger shipping company . However, RCG owns the world’s biggest passenger ships. As of 2020, RCG controlled ~24% of the global ship cruising market , had full ownership of 4 brands , 49% stake in Pullmantur , 50% stake in TUI Cruises , 19% stake in Wamos Air .
Is There A Fridge In Royal Caribbean Staterooms
A mini-fridge is a common feature in staterooms on Royal Caribbean cruise ships. It can store food and beverages but may not be suitable for keeping medications. All cabins have these fridges, which can be emptied by the stateroom attendant. The fridges are typically stocked with snacks and liquor. While you cant keep medications, you can store other personal items such as medicines and baby food in them.
The interior stateroom is an affordable option for travelers who are on a budget. It provides a cozy room without an outside view. This room is best for light sleepers as there is no natural light. However, there are some interior staterooms that feature the Virtual Balcony an 80-inch floor-to-ceiling LED screen that streams real-time footage from outside your stateroom.
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Beverages Already Included In Your Cruise Fare
So what free drinks on Royal Caribbean will you find? Royal Caribbean complimentary drinks covered by your cruise fare include milk, some juices, hot chocolate, and regular coffee and tea . You will also find some fountain-style drinks at the buffet. Youll find non-carbonated drinks like juice or juice-based punch, but no sodas. And, of course, you should also be able to get regular non-bottled water.
Is It Worth Getting A Drinks Package On Royal Caribbean
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If you plan to be off the ship exploring ports most days, then not only will you not have as much time on board to drink your drinks, but youre also less likely to want a hangover! For this reason, a drinks package may be better value on a cruise with lots of sea days, such as a transatlantic sailing.
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Royal Caribbean Refreshment Package
This package essentially includes all of the same beverages as covered by the Deluxe Package except for beverages containing alcohol. So, it includes soft drinks, non-alcoholic cocktails, bottled water, sparkling water, specialty coffees and teas, and fresh-squeezed juices.
This package also includes the souvenir cup for the onboard Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
The onboard pricing for this package ranges from $29.00 $38.00/per day.
Ideal Guest Purchaser
This package is best for folks who like to stay hydrated. If you drink 8 bottles of water daily, you will almost certainly break even. Likewise, if you consume some combination of bottled water, soda, lattes, and the occasional mocktail, you will break even if you only consume at least 5 to 6 drinks a day.
Guests Who Should Skip It
You should probably look for alternatives if you primarily drink water and coffee-based drinks. For instance, a Water Package and a Coffee Card would be considerably cheaper.
Cost Of Royal Caribbean Vs Carnival
Want to sail affordably? Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer affordable vacations. If you want to sail the more inexpensive cruise line, however, then youre better off with Carnival according to our analysis.
We recently analyzed dozens of cruises from both cruise lines departing from three of their most popular ports. Carnival and Royal Caribbean both sail from Miami, Port Canaveral, and Galveston, which gives an ability to compare prices across the lines with similar trips.
When looking at the fares for each sailing in July 2022 , we found that Carnivals fares are less expensive on average.
According to our analysis, cruise fare for a 7-night trip aboard Carnival was about $200 cheaper per person during our search than what was seen on Royal Caribbean. That lower pricing also held for 3, 4, and 5-night cruises.
Now keep in mind that this doesnt mean your cruise will automatically be less expensive on Carnival or more expensive on Royal Caribbean. What you pay for a cruise depends on a lot of factors, including when you sail, the specific ship you choose, and the route you take. But in general, you can figure that a Carnival cruise will run less than a similar one on Royal Caribbean.
Bottom line: When it comes to cost, Carnival is usually cheaper to sail than a similar trip on Royal Caribbean, although the difference isnt enormous.
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Are Royal Caribbean Dining Packages Worth It
For a first cruise, I wouldnt recommend booking speciality dining unless theres a particular restaurant that you really wish to try. The free food is so good and the speciality dining is more expensive on Royal Caribbean ships than with some other cruise lines.
The dining packages dont give a big discount compared to booking speciality dining restaurants individually. Dining packages dont include premium dining experiences like Chefs Table, Wine Pairing Dinners, Taste of Royal and Mystery Dinner Theatre. Izumi Hibachi has a $10 surcharge with a dining package.
Will Royal Caribbean Still Have Buffets
There are rumors that buffets will be eliminated on some of the Royal Caribbean cruises, but that seems unlikely given the recent changes. In fact, the CDC changed its rules to allow passengers who are fully vaccinated to have buffets, but that doesnt mean cruise lines are racing to bring back the buffet. Royal Caribbeans global vice president Linken DSouza recently said that there would be no change to buffets on any of the ships.
The CDC recently eased restrictions on serving yourself on cruise ships, and this has led to the return of self-service on Windjammer buffets. The company will also offer packaged grab-and-go options, which proved popular after the pandemic. Self-service has also been reinstated on private island destinations and Solarium Bistros. While the ban has been a thorny issue for cruisers, the new policy is good for everyone.
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The Class Of Cruise Ship Matters
Royal Caribbean offers six classes of ship . They range in size from the biggest ships in the world to much smaller. It’s not only size of the ship the matters, but broadly, bigger ships have more amenities, more restaurants, and more kid-friendly activities.
It’s also important to know the bigger isn’t always better. Some people swear by older, smaller ships for having a more “classic” cruise vibe and those ships can often sail more interesting itineraries.
The Royal Caribbean classes are:
When you book a cruise, in a broad sense, if you look at the same time period, the newest ships cost the most, then the biggest ships. Older ships in bigger classes cost less while “Amped,” Royal Caribbean’s term for updated, cost more.
Lounges And Watering Holes To Be Sure To Check Out
Again, just like with the specialty dining options, there arent a ton of different lounges and bars to hit up aboard Serenade of the Seas, due to its smaller size, but you can still find a good spot to have a sip or two.
The Schooner Bar is the same as what youll find on every Royal Caribbean ship, with its nautical theme and laid-back atmosphere. It also features live music on the daily.
The Safari Club is a more masculine-style watering hole, with lots of dark wood, billiards and man-approved cocktails.
Of course, more bars can be found by the pool and in the spa-adjacent Solarium.
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What Drinks Are Included
Theres so much talk about beverage packages, and Ive seen these question come up many times in cruise Facebook groups.
Is there anything for me to drink?
Is water free on a cruise?
Will I be able to get tea or coffee on a cruise, or so I need to buy the coffee package?
Drink packages and whats included on a cruise can be confusing.