Read all 15, right now
This is our free general cruise guide, the whole thing, published here so you can actually use it. Fifteen hacks in five groups: saving money, beating the crowds, getting better rooms, eating and drinking smart, and having more fun once you are aboard. Every hack is line-agnostic, so it works no matter which ship you are sailing. Bookmark the page, or grab the PDF version below to take on the ship.
Save Money
1. Do the drink package math before you buy. Most drink packages break even at around five or six alcoholic drinks a day. Count your sea days versus port days honestly, and buy before you sail: packages are almost always cheaper pre-cruise than on board.
2. Reprice your cabin if the fare drops. Cruise fares move up and down after you book. Before your final payment date, check your sailing's current price: most cruise lines will honor the lower fare or move you to a better cabin. Set a calendar reminder and check twice.
3. Compare ship and independent excursions. In major ports, local operators run the same tours for 20 to 40 percent less than the cruise line charges. Book independently when the port is close and easy; stick with the ship's tour when the attraction is far away, because the ship waits for its own tours.
Beat the Crowds
4. Eat lunch in the main dining room on embarkation day. At noon on day one, nearly everyone stampedes the buffet. The main dining room is open, calm, and half empty, with a real menu and zero lines.
5. Stay on the ship for one port day. When everyone heads ashore, the pools, slides, and sun decks empty out. Pick a port you have visited before, stay aboard, and enjoy the ship's best spots with no wait.
6. Eat breakfast early or late, never at nine. Nine a.m. on a sea day is the most crowded meal of the cruise. Eat at seven thirty or after ten, or try the main dining room breakfast, and you will skip the worst of it.
Get Better Rooms
7. Book a cabin between cabin decks. Cabins under the pool deck hear chairs scraping at dawn; cabins under the theater or nightclub feel the bass until late. A cabin with cabins above and below you is the quietest cabin on the ship.
8. Ask about aft-facing balconies. Balconies at the very back of the ship are often deeper than side balconies, with unbeatable wake and sunset views, usually at the same fare as a standard balcony. They sell out first, so ask early.
9. Book a guarantee cabin and let them upgrade you. A guarantee (GTY) rate lets the cruise line assign your cabin later. When a sailing is not full, guarantee guests are first in line for complimentary upgrades.
Eat & Drink Smart
10. The main dining room serves lunch on sea days. Most passengers never discover this: a proper sit-down lunch with table service, far calmer than the buffet rush. Check the daily schedule for times.
11. Bring your own wine aboard. Most major cruise lines let you bring one or two bottles of wine per stateroom on embarkation day. Policies differ by line, so check yours before you sail and pack accordingly.
12. Specialty restaurants cost less at lunch. The ship's extra-charge restaurants usually offer lunch seatings at a lower cover charge than dinner. Same kitchens, same quality, smaller bill.
Maximize Your Fun
13. Check in online the minute it opens. Online check-in opens weeks before sailing, and the earliest port arrival times go first. Checking in right away can get you on board by noon with a head start on lunch, pools, and show reservations.
14. Pack a few magnetic hooks. Cabin walls are metal, and cabin storage is tiny. A handful of strong magnetic hooks holds hats, lanyards, wet swimsuits, and excursion tickets, and they weigh almost nothing in your bag.
15. Carry your own bags off on the last morning. Choose self-assist disembarkation and walk off with your luggage instead of waiting for a tag color. You skip the luggage hall entirely and beat the biggest lines of the cruise.
Want it as a PDF to take on the ship?
Same 15 hacks, same words, as a free 7-page PDF you can save to your phone and read offline at sea. Totally optional: everything in the file is on this page.
Want the full insider's guide?
These 15 hacks are just the start. The Cruise Insider's 20-page ship guides cover every restaurant, show, cabin pick, and money-saving secret for all 30 Royal Caribbean ships.
Sailing Royal Caribbean?
Our Royal Caribbean freebie is published in full too: 15 hacks tuned to Royal's ships, from drink package math and Cruise Planner sale tricks to CocoCay timing and FlowRider booking.