9 things that surprise people on Royal Caribbean
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- čas přidán 8. 04. 2024
- Planning a Royal Caribbean cruise? You're going to want to know about these things well before your cruise begins!
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I know you had a lot to share in a little time, but I believe the Refreshment or Deluxe package really get value when you know you can get bottled water, soda, juices, specialty coffee, shakes, smoothies and mocktails - so you don't need to drink just alcohol to get you money's worth.
Ive never found packages to be worth it personally.
I'm a big proponent of the Refreshment package. I love knowing how much I'm spending on drinks from the outset. If you're like me and drink a lot of soda and take advantage of lattes, smoothies and mocktails, it's the best way to go. I feel like because it's SO much more expensive than the Refreshment package, unless you're going to drink like three alcoholic drinks every single day ON TOP OF what you get from the refreshment package, the Deluxe package is not going to be worth it. And for me, that's just a too many beverages in a day. Plus, then I get into having to do a running tally of drinks in order to make sure I'm getting my money's worth. Better off getting the Refreshment one and just buying some cocktails ala carte.
@@duffin.caprousmy issue is that's a lot of calories to take in. That's one reason I don't get packages. Just stick with water. I feel like garbage when I drink like that.
@@tduck828Ditto. Want to save my calories for the food.
I just got off the ship and it’s worth it for us . I had 6-12 alcohol drinks , at least 8 waters , some pop and milkshake each day !!!
We’re going for our honeymoon next year. Super excited. I’ve been watching all the videos I feel like I’m studying for an exam lol!!😂
Talking about $14 cocktails being expensive like I’m not already paying $14-18 for drinks before tax and tip at most restaurants where I live 😅
My first cruise, which was way back in like 2002, the thing that stood out to me-
1-you won’t get sick, it’s a big ship! We sailed around a hurricane and the waves were huge, and the ship was rocking. We got so sick. I don’t remember if we had Dramamine. I do remember my ex got so sick and the people at our dining table told us their’s a doctor on board but it’s really expensive. My ex went to the doctor and got some shots to help him with his nausea and sickness. The rest of the cruise, he was fine. But it cost us a hefty $300+ (at that time it was a lot). I learned to always get the prescription patch and to have Dramamine and Bonine with me. And I learned to get the insurance in case anything ever happens, at least we will be covered.
2- I learned that things add up quickly. We didn’t have internet like we do now. We had to buy everything on the cruise. Everything added up fast. Drinks back then were like $10-$12 bucks a drink. Times that by 2 people. And we are not big heavy drinkers but “When in Rome”. You see these delicious tropical drinks everywhere, all times of the day, you want a drink too. So we drank way more than we thought, and that’s alcoholic drinks. We did so the soda package at least. But you add all the drinks, the doctor bill, and any “extras”, we had a HUGE HEFTY BILL that we definitely did not expect. We went to Customer Service to dispute and found that yes, they were all right. So what I learned is-try to pay as much before the cruise, excursions, any drink packages, etc. that way, when you are on the cruise, all you have to worry about is souvenirs, anything extra that you may want to get, and tips. To me, I feel having everything paid for ahead of time takes that burden of “How much am I spending? How much do I have left to spend?” It takes that anxiety out or off your shoulders.
3- Last cruise I went on, I watched a lot of Videos from Matt”Royal Caribbean Blog” and I watched Illana from “Life Well Cruised”. They both had good tips and tricks of what to do, what to expect and what to get.
Hope this helps with anyone who’s first time cruiser!
I'm going on my first Royal Caribbean cruise next year for our honeymoon. I've only been on Carnival. Always wanted to go on Royal. I can't wait!!!
The thing that surprised me the most on my first cruise (wasn't with Royal but still applies) is that soft drinks like soda are not included in the fare. You have to pay more or get a drink package that covers them. As for today, Royals drink packages are getting ridiculously expensive and I think that surprises a lot of people.
For bills, what I normally do is go to the bank and take out $150 and ask them to give me 50 ones and 25 fives and five tens. That usually gets me through a cruise for tipping. I usually do one or two bucks for bartenders or a 5 dollar bill if they go above and beyond. I like to give $25 to the room steward on the first day and then $25 on the last day. While it may or may not help you get better service, I know if it were me, I'd appreciate having something extra to start the cruise if I were doing that job.
That equals $225... $50 for the 1s, $50 for the 10s and $125 for the 5s. You must have got a deal from your bank. 😅
@@loriw3015 whatever math isn't my strongest skill. You know what I mean.
Australian cruises have gratuities included in the fare so we don't need any cash.
@@duffin.caprous can you give me 2 10's for a 5?
Theyre included in us cruises as well @suave-rider
One surprise on this video, at 8 minutes 2 seconds a waiter is dancing with a bottle on his head😊
Thank you for the guidance, Matt, really appreciate your Royal Caribbean cruise insights.
We went on a Mediterranean cruise several years ago and one stop was in Rome. The ship docks at a port 1 hour away which made our tour of Rome too short. We always felt slighted because there is so much to see and do. This year we booked a Greek Isles cruise that starts in Rome. We are arriving 4 days early to enjoy all there is in Rome before we board the ship. It's like a vacation before our vacation. WIN WIN!!!
On our first cruise we didn't realize it cost almost as much to book a non-balcony cabin than to book one with a balcony. The first time we booked one, we realized we were missing out all this time! They're nice and relaxing and we will get a balcony from now on. We also were glad we didn't get any kind of drink package. I don;t drink and my wife has an occassional glass of wine. The drink package would have been a waste. I wish I had known that on RC Blog there are cruise compasses that give you the happenings on the ship. That helped a lot on my recent cruises. You don't go in blind and you can plan accordingly.
Must depend on the cruise then about a non balcony and a baloney being the same price. Most of my cruises were on Princess ships and the balconies cost more. That being said though the interior rooms are much lower cost than some other cruises. I priced a cruise on the Icon the other week and it’s literally triple the cost for a room as compared to a Princess ship.
@@fredflintstone5356 A balcony and non-balcony cabin are NOT the same price, it's just in some cases it cost only a slight bit more to upgrade. You WILL pay more for a balcony...without a doubt. There are ships that don't have as many balcony cabins as others. I'm pretty sure on those ships you will pay a bit more to get a balcony. As far as pricing on the Icon; it's the new ship and it will cost more. Once the novelty wears of and it's been around a few years, I'm sure the prices will come down a bit.
Going on our first cruise April 28th, but have been following your channel since 2019 as we were scheduled to set sail April 5th 2020! Well, you know what happened the week before our sailing.
Even though we are newbies, feeling very prepared given the advice gleaned from your videos.
They don’t do this anymore but main dining room was a 7 course meal on my first cruise.
5:03 also dont buy candles at port and expect to bring them on board, they will confiscate the pretty shell candle and make you pick it up at the end of the cruise…
1st cruise next week on Freedom... I think I knew most of those things and didn't buy a booze package because I'll never have time to drink enough to make sense.. Heck, one of the days is off the boat in Nassau so the package does nothing at that point. If the cost were per couple or cabin I would have,.. but per person\ per day was WAY over budget..
Can't wait..!
Already packed. plane ride Sunday evening! I believe this will be the start of something habitual.. unless the world keeps going toward crazy and unsafe.. Thanks for the hints.
For the multiple dishes at the MDR, you order both, but they will put in the orders in succession.
On my first cruise (10+ years ago), I was surprised at how small the rooms are. It all makes sense now, but it was just not something I thought about before going the first time. Ive been on 4 more royalcaribbean cruises, and i have 4 more scheduled. My biggest recommendation is to get a balcony or at least an ocean view for the first cruise.
In my experiences, even with a drink package (all cruise lines), when NOT in international waters, some ports like Seattle, NYC charge an additional tax that will show up on your onboard account. 💲💲💲 it's small like 10 cents a drink, but something to be aware of.
I was surprised by the amazing talent of the performing artists!!! WOW! Also how the crew will bend over backwards to make your time onboard fabulous! Finally the subset of guests who were unbelievable rude and hateful to crew members was truly shocking.
I miss my cruise, I can’t believe it’s already been a whole week since I was out at sea
That was the same exact cruise ship that I was on in 2022😊
yay
yay
yay
I am all about wear what you want but, they need to enforce the dress code in reference to flip flops and shorts ect in the Main Dining room. Last cruise it was pretty rough. Some things I don't want to see while eating. It was more then one night so they definitely didn't enforce it at all
The issue is, I think, it's a lose-lose for them. If they enforce it, selfish passengers get upset and angry. If they don't, then it's like, what's the point of the dress code? I'm with you, personally I'd rather they enforce the rules than not, but I get why they're reluctant to be too strict about it.
I agree and am someone that usually doesn’t like changing for dinner. If you don’t feel like changing into proper clothes, just go to one of the quick service places or windjammer. Otherwise, put on the proper attire and shut up 😄
I going on my first RC cruise, I'm so excited but so scared that I won't do what I need to for this to be a carefree cruise..
Any thoughts on Royal vs. Carnival
Drink of the day are on sale. About 50% off.
I went and saw NO difference in price .:. Did I miss out ? Glenda
The one big then that surprised me was actually the ocean. Ever since I've been on my 1st one (been on 15 and just hit Diamond +) I can't stop dreaming about that beautiful water
Did not think to pack tennis shoes for the kids for basketball or pants and socks for ice skating
I'm going on the symphony of the seas between the 20th to the 27th of October. Do you know any tips and tricks for me to follow because I'm in a wheelchair and how do I get onto the bridge for a bridge tour?
Royal Caribbean, should make it available to book shows on all classes of ships, not just the Oasis, Quantum and Icon classes. If you're going to do something such as this, roll it out to all your ships@
Can you talk about specialty teas and coffees? I never get the drink package (5 beers on a 7 day cruise) but it seems that coffees and teas are a "pay for" item on RC.
Drink package only worth it if you want to get hammered.
Dress code is pretty much NON-existent now compared to the old days of cruising. As long as you are not wearing 'beach wear' in the dining room, pretty much everything goes.
It's sad, it's what separates civility and Walmart shoppers
I love that about RC. It's your vacation; you should be able to wear what you want!
@@billybenson3834 No it's not "sad", it's realistic. If I want to dress in nice casual attire vs formal, that's MY right because I paid for MY vacation! If you want to dress up, then go right ahead! No one is stopping you! It's none of your business how other paying passenger's dress!
@@iluvutube4886Yes it is everyone's business when people do not follow a dress code. If you don't want to follow the rules, take a vacation to your home or a nudist colony.
@@billybenson3834Correct. Many people with the wrong mentality think just because they paid for the trip, they can break the rules.
Are there any free beverages included as part of your cruise besides a couple of dining areas?
water
So, been about 14 years since i went on a carnival, just went on the Allure. The Allure was AMAZING. None of the oasis class ships are going to the western Caribbean in a timeframe i can manage. Is Carnival any good at all? It seems like a “train wreck” on carnival lately
@royalcaribbeanblog how long before my cruise can I book the shows I want to attend?
His video said 30 days.
In terms of a special dress night i.e, White night or 70s night... will guests be advised ahead of time before the cruise of what dress code nights will be happening?
I believe that your cruise itinerary will be available 30-45 days before the cruise.
@@kendrakent7583 back in the day you were mailed out all the information about theme nights so you could arrange your outfits well ahead of the departure
We are taking our first Royal cruise, should we fly into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale? We have never been to that port. Can you advise?
Depends where you're staying before and after your cruise. With Miami traffic from Mia Intl. to the port its about 20-30Mins. From Ftl on I95 could be a 45-1.5 drive.
I know u said u have to carry on 12 pack water and soda. But Can u put the wine in checked luggage? Thx in advance.
Put it in carry on or else security will hold your suitcase and make you open it .
He adresses that in the video. Put it in your carry-on luggage or they will scan it and make you open it.
46 days!
Be prepared for weather changes.
Can you bring your curling iron?
Yes, just not a clothes iron or steamers.
Yes you can
I've been in the main dining room and seen people in shorts, flip flops and baseball caps.
I saw a guest allowed in the main dining room wearing a sleeve less shirt. The dress code aren't enforced. Unlike like Celebrity that does enforce the dress codes.
ugh so gross
when do theme nights/formal nights get posted or announced? thank you.
They're not really announced ahead of time. That would definitely be nice, I agree. Usually you need to just look at past cruise compasses for your ship and itinerary and guesstimate what there will be.
Check out the app several weeks before the cruise.
In your booking receipt it'll tell you te average formal nights i.e. 7 nights has 2, lesser nights 1.
Just returned from my first cruise. Luggage arrived in the evening on day 1, along with a voucher to get my clothes pressed within 48 hours for $17.50. I took up the offer because my formal clothes were very wrinkled. Formal evening ended up being night 2. All I had to wear to dinner was t-shirts and shorts. It would be good if they could publish information on the app more than 1 day in advance.
@@philscott7949 how did you not know it was night 2?
You don’t have to tip when you paid the pre cruise tip amount right?
If you don't have a drink package and just buy an occasional drink you'll tip for that in the purchase. I tip the room service 5 bucks cash when delivered
@@billybenson3834 thank you! I do have drink package, so I’m probably ok then right? I’ll have cash for the casino still tho so if I do room service I can tip with that
Your tip is already included in the cost of the drink package AND if you don't have a drink package, they automatically add on a 18% "surcharge", which is a tip, for every drink you order along with a donut, cupcake, etc. Don't over-tip!
I'm doing a transatlantic sailing on May 1st (departing from the USA and arriving in Barcelona). Will guest services have euros? I don't see any other way to conveniently get a few euros before I'm on land in Spain. Thanks!
You can get them at most full service banks when you ask in advance. Just remember to repack them if you change your mind about which carry on.
@@julieb7882 Unfortunately, I don't have access to any full service banks, and I am not passing through any large airports with currency exchanges on the way to the port. That's why I was hoping I could get some from Guest Services.
@jdmoncada8205 you could call Royal and ask. I'm not sure if they exchange money. I'm sure they have a less favorable rate.
I'm on that cruise too! First time and excited to see the ocean
@@CatMadBuh I hope you have a great time!
First time cruiser in March this year… Freedom on the Seas. I wish I hadn’t bought the sofa drink package. It was not a good value considering what we got. The whole cruise was disappointing overall.
Sorry to hear. We love Freedom of the Seas. Was there something in particular that disappointed you? In Nassau the prices at the restaurants seemed high and the Straw Market is pretty much different vendors pressure selling the same stuff, but we enjoyed the ship and CoCo Cay.
I have a long winded question too long to type here! Is there an email somewhere I could send it to you?
check his website i guess
I complain last cruise o smell smoke they did nothing in my cabin all I could smell smoke nothing was done
I see 2 uncovered swimsuits on buffet today. So far.
yuck
Yuck only if they didn’t look good.
No handcuffs?! How about zip ties? 😂
I shave my own head with my electric clippers with plug is it allowed on board?
I took my electric shaver. Its a regargeable Pit Bull. I didn't have any issues.
@@firstof3cooks thanks..appreciate it…
how about you shave before the cruise and leave them at home
@@suave-rider I shave every 2 days hair grows quickly
@@ramslucas5140 I shave every couple days too. If I go on a two or three night cruise, I don't worry as much, but if I'm on a longer cruise, I want to look my best just like anyone else.
I’m pretty sure we were not allowed to bring bottled water, only canned.
In one of these videos he said bottled water, canned or bottled sodas.
If your drinking 5 or 6 drinks every day of the cruise the drink package might make sense but if not every single day it's not worth it.
If the price is less than the cost of 2 drinks a day over the price of the refreshment package. We can make it work for us even on port days.
Slow down and ENUNCIATE!
I have a round brush blow dryer that I really need for my hair, is it allowed??
Yes
Cash? USD cash on board or what currency… I’m Canadian
USD
no handcuffs???? not even the pink fuzzy ones? Geez... party poopers... lol
You missed the biggest shocker: Forced and double "gratuities". Not only do they charge you a gratuity for the MDR each night, they charge a FULL maximum gratuity (18%-20%) on any specialty dining without crediting you for the MDR that you are not going to. On your drink package, there is also a forced gratuity but there is still a tip line on the receipt. Tip creep is a big problem everywhere but on a cruise ship they crank it up to the max. Plus NEVER tip the "porter!" They are teamsters, and not only do they earn well over $100k/year, they shut down cruising for weeks to get it.
First off, not all porters are union. Also, not all unions are "teamsters". I also highly doubt porters make $100,000 a year. From what I found, the average is around $16 an hour. Also going to need you to cite a source of porters shutting down cruising "for weeks". I've never seen that anywhere. Also, I'm more likely to tip a union worker, thanks. Support unions.
@@duffin.caprous Ok, not Teamsters, the longshore and warehouse union. The ports of Vancouver and Victoria (and the rest of BC) were shut down for the first 2 weeks of July 2023 plus the precursor intermittent actions, costing the province and country billions of dollars. I don't know the final wage but the rejected wage was $162k/year a >19% wage increase. Google it. They will never get a tip from us.
The wait staff income is basically tip only. MDR staff are different from the specialty dining staff
You can change the automatic tip at customer service once you get on board. My sisters always changes it to None and pays her tips with cash the entire cruise to the employees she feels deserves it.
Cashless ship shouldn’t even be said, or advertised. As much as I would like to pay in silver and gold you do need it at the end of the day
No.1. Surprise bills on disembarking
I'm going to date myself here! What surprised me? That the cruise line would hand me a Margherita in one hand and a loaded shotgun in the other. That's right! Drunk skeet shooting was a real thing in the 1980s!
hey
i remember the skeet shooting off the deck in '84, fun times and zero security screening
matt the greedskate
For all of us non Americans out there, pleeeeease speak more slowly.
WHO are you talking to? Just read slower.
If you are on CZcams, you can adjust settings to .75 speed or anything lower than 1x and it will slow it down for you. Hope this helps!
3 views in 1 minute? bro fell off
real
The thing that surprised me most was how terrible it was. I’ve only ever been on dcl before and it seems like everything but the shows was worse on royal the ship was dirty (symphony ots) the food was garbage the entertainment schedule was whack the guests were rude and all the chairs were taken at 7 not that I wanted one the teens were a whole situation and the crew burnt out. Never sailing royal again also tired of you using “royal is a for profit company” as an excuse. All the crosses lines are for profit companies plenty of them offer a better experience than royal.
Also none of the speciality restaurants allowed a second entree and many had limits on apps to
So, I have to wonder why you're here if you hated it so much. Do you think this is an official Royal channel? Because it's not.
@@duffin.caprous no I know it’s not an official Royal channel I also know many people who are in a situation similar to what ours was prior to booking may be on this video.
@@car_tar3882 I mean...that's all just your opinion. I've been on numerous cruises and had a lot of fun, enjoyed the food and everything. You also said you've only done Disney before, so I don't know how you can claim to know that "plenty" of lines offer a better experience. There are issues with every cruise line and I won't claim Royal is the best at everything, but I've always enjoyed my time.
@@duffin.caprous I claim that because people in the group talked about how carnival has better food and I’ve seen many people talk about a variety of lines being better than royal and how the people on our crosses would never do Royal again.