Read all 15, right now
This is our free 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. Bookmark the page, or grab the PDF version below to take on the ship.
Save Money
1. Do the drink package math. The Deluxe Beverage Package breaks even at roughly 5 to 6 cocktails a day. Be honest about your habits before you buy, and always buy pre-cruise in the Cruise Planner, where it is cheaper than the onboard price.
2. Watch the Cruise Planner for sales. Drink packages, specialty dining, and excursions regularly go on sale in the Cruise Planner. Buy early, then check back: if the price drops, cancel and rebook at the lower price. It takes two minutes.
3. Specialty dining is cheaper at lunch. The same specialty restaurants charge a lower cover at lunch than at dinner. Same menu quality, smaller bill. Chops Grille and Jamie's Italian are both great lunch picks.
Beat the Crowds
4. Skip the Windjammer rush at noon. On embarkation day, nearly everyone heads straight to the Windjammer buffet. Eat in the Main Dining Room instead (open for lunch on day one), grab a specialty spot, or just wait until after 1:30 when the crowds thin out.
5. Port days mean an empty ship. When everyone is ashore, the pools, slides, and FlowRider have almost no lines. Stay aboard for at least one port day and you will have the ship's best attractions nearly to yourself.
6. CocoCay: go early for the best spots. Perfect Day at CocoCay fills up fast. Head ashore early for the best beach chairs and cabana locations, and hit Thrill Waterpark before 10 a.m. to beat the lines at the tallest slides.
Get Better Rooms
7. Try a virtual-balcony interior. Interior staterooms on many newer ships have a floor-to-ceiling LED screen that live-streams the view outside. You get the feel of a balcony at an interior price.
8. Turn a price drop into an upgrade. Before your final payment date, watch your sailing's price. If the fare drops, call and ask for the lower rate or a cabin upgrade. A price drop is the easiest upgrade you will ever get.
9. Crown & Anchor perks start at 3 points. Enroll in the Crown & Anchor Society for free before you sail so your very first cruise counts. Just 3 points earns Gold status, and every sailing builds toward balcony discounts and upgrades at higher tiers.
Eat & Drink Smart
10. Bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom. Royal Caribbean lets every stateroom bring two 750ml bottles of wine aboard on embarkation day. That is the policy per stateroom, not per person, so even solo travelers get two.
11. Free Main Dining Room lunch on sea days. The Main Dining Room serves a proper sit-down lunch on sea days, and most passengers never realize it. Quieter, calmer, and far nicer than fighting the buffet crowds.
12. Reserve My Time Dining early. My Time Dining slots in the Main Dining Room fill up before you sail. Book your preferred times in the Cruise Planner or the app ahead of time instead of hoping for walk-in availability.
Maximize Your Fun
13. Book shows in the app on day one. Headline shows on Oasis, Icon, and Quantum class ships fill up fast. Open the Royal Caribbean app as soon as you board and reserve every show you want. The best time slots go first.
14. Book FlowRider slots on day one. Surf and boogie-board sessions on the FlowRider are limited, especially on sea days. Reserve your spot as soon as you board or you may not get a turn all sailing.
15. Adventure Ocean = free date nights. The kids club is free during the day and evening, so parents get real date nights at no cost. (Late-night sessions after 10 p.m. carry a small hourly fee.) Register the kids on day one.
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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.