Binge watching all of your videos plus new videos. Have a Freedom cruise booked for March with my fiance, our first time on a cruise. These videos are really helping with the nervousness. Thanks
Hey Matt, I just back from an 11 night cruise on Anthem of the Seas to the Southern Caribbean where Royal Caribbean let me go onto the bow of the ship to propose to my GF and she is now my Fiancee !!!!!! This made her first cruise even more special.
@@kathyreid3488 We got the unlimited dining package so we never ate at the MDR. It was so worth it, the steaks at Chops and the Pasta at Jamie's. The Best!!!!
Matt, thanks for the tip about pre-purchasing and cancelling if there is a better deal. I always pre-purchase but didn’t realize that I could cancel and re-purchase if the price ended up dropping. I just went to the Royal Caribbean site and noticed that our Internet package price had dropped for our upcoming cruise so I cancelled the original and rebooked with the lower price with no problem! I owe you a drink with some of the money I saved! Thanks so much!
The safety drill os really for everyone's safety and it is always safe to know where to go and what to do if the emergency arises. There is no better feeling than knowing that ships are strict about safety. Thank you Royal Caribbean
Thank you for all the tips. I recently learned while sailing with my birth certificate because my passport was getting renewed that a closed loop cruise, one that starts and ends at the SAME US port, not just any US port is fine with my birth certificate. I could not have sailed on a Panama canal cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale and Returning to LA.
Right. For people who enjoy knowing WHY, look up the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative for all of the rules about closed-loop cruises. There are some interesting exceptions to the closed-loop rule, like sailing to Martinique requires a passport. Who knew?
We have a yearly insurance plan. We have done 9 cruises since August 2021 and it pays. Thank you, we are booked on 4 more Royal, until the Icon in January 2024.
My advice for traveling in RC in 2023 is to take the unlimited restaurant package, two weeks ago we went to RC Harmony of the Seas for 7 nights in the Caribbean ( july 2023 )and the food both in the main dining room and in the buffet was terrible, with few options, small portions and little variety. We had to pay for the restaurant package to be able to eat a decent meal, also the breakfast was very bad. The restaurants were good, Chopper and 150 Central Park were my favorites. It is worth mentioning that I have traveled with RC on 6 occasions, and I had never experienced this problem with food
Great job, as always, Matt - thank you! I am HOPEFULLY going on RCL for my 1st time this September (NE/Canada). I say HOPEFULLY because this cruise has been n the planning since 2018, and has been cancelled/rebooked (sometimes by me, sometimes by RCL). I have learned SO MUCH from you n that time, and will continue to do so. So - VERY grateful for you, and all your hard work!
Thank you for slowing up...listened to the entire blog and was able to understand your tips and thoughts. If you could just slow a little more it would be great....will stay subscribed as long as you stay on a slowed pace when sharing... THANK YOU!!!
I agree with everything and do your research. We wanted to go to a specialty restaurant so I watched some videos and discovered that Jamie’s Italian has the same menu for lunch and dinner so we booked for lunch for half the price! Watch some videos and check out the specialty restaurants and reviews on your ship.
Remember that closed loop has to leave and come back from THE SAME PORT! It is not considered closed loop if you leave Miami go to Cozumel and then disembark in Galveston.
I WISH MSC would actually compete in the Us market. They have been insisting for years that they are catering to US Americans, but I’m just not seeing it. Some people enjoy it, but the vast majority of cruisers I’ve talked to just didn’t enjoy them.
I watched Royal Blogs videos before my first Royal cruise earlier this month and I couldn’t been done checking in so quickly without the tips. Yes, check through the app ahead of time because it is a easy walk in situation and complete your Muster Station the minute you walk on. It’s super easy and no crowd of people waiting for a presentation because it all done in the app. Love watching the new videos to get top for my cruise Feb ‘24. My tip for everyone with My Time Dinning, make a reservation. We didn’t do this our first night and it was a mess with a long waits reservations are quick and easy for mid day dinners.
If you're traveling with a minor child that is not yours, make sure you get a paper signed and dated by either both parents or the legal custodial parent saying that it is okay for you to take that child out of the state and country with you and make sure you have it notarized or spend a few dollars and have something drawn up by an attorney. It'll help to avoid extra questions when they see the last names don't match due to human trafficking measures. This is a helpful tip I pulled of the internet, and I think Carnival's site as well.
Good info. We are booked on the RCCL Independence of the Seas in September out of Port Canaveral. While the cruise fare for the aft balcony isn't much higher than the 2019 cruise we took on RCCL Mariner, the Cococay excursions are WAY more expensive! Wow!
I will fly the same day if the port is in CA. Only because it's only a 45 minute to 1 hour flight. And I'll book a 6am flight with a 1pm check-in time at port. So I don't worry about delays.
DEFINITELY FLY THE DAY BEFORE!! I made the horrible rookie mistake when I was younger and going on my first cruise. I flew the same day and me and my friends MISSED the cruise ship because the plane broke down!! We had to then waste money on another flight to catch it in Puerto Rico and on a hotel for the night (which we should’ve invested in the day before) So we missed the first 2 days of our cruise, it didn’t feel like the same after. I will never do that again!!
We are going Transatlantic in 20 days on Anthem of the Seas (May 1 2023) NJ to Southampton UK and RC has emailed us saying that a pre cruise COVID test is NOT required but we need to provide a vaccination card.
I should have watched this first! 😢I’m a first time cruiser. My flight is scheduled to arrive in Miami at 9:30am. We are set to sail at 4pm from the Miami port.
Do you have a video that explains that last dining package better? Is this a specialty dining package? Or is this just everyone dining? Do you have to get some kind of stamp or card? How do they know you're going to the same restaurant more than once in a day?
Don't forget to always check if you credit card gives you travel insurance that works. I didn't know this and later realized that as long as one paid the entire cruise on the card, there was trip insurance automatically covering the trip. You of course have to make sure it's insurance that covers what you're doing..but don't pay more if you can!
Two cruises booked for 2023 and one booked but four planned for 2024! I haven't cruised since 2015 and this summer will be my first with my daughter. She has special and medical needs so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I know we will have an amazing time though!
No, you'd be out that money vs cancelling/changing with refundable you're out no money. Flexibility is worth something. And if you're okay with the penalty, that's great. Unfortunately I hear from so many people who don't understand why they can't make a change without a cost.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog That's great if there is no price difference between the two. If there is, you have to weigh the odds of cancelling vs. paying the "insurance" of a refundable deposit.
HELP! Question: you state to always book your cruise through a reliable Travel Agent. It in other videos you state to book through Next Cruise while on board. Which is it? I’m a little confused.
Matt thanks for the good advice. Have tried using the Royal Caribbean blog for past cruise compasses but they aren't there. Any advice on how to get them?
Hey, have you done a blog on western cruise (Cozumel) vs eastern Caribbean cruise Bahamas, Cocoa Cay. Done Bahamas 2x. Hearing about ppl having to pay taxis to get to private beaches in cozumel. Not sure how it works there. Don’t know enough. Thinking cocoa cay is so much easier for my family situation.
Quick question in regards to travel insurance. When you book a Royal Caribbean cruise and have the option to purchase the travel insurance then, does that count towards what you were referring to being medical and stuff? Or is this something independent of the travel insurance plan offered by Royal Caribbean?
I don’t know the specific answer to your question, but I have observed from my previous cruises, that it is far more cost effective to buy your Travel Insurance independently from the cruise line (whichever cruise line it may be). Personally, I have noticed that buying Medical Travel Insurance is significantly cheaper, independently and assures that medical attention onboard as well as transportation to an onshore facility is covered. Make sure that you state that you wish for cruise insurance coverage.
I booked an Alaska cruise through a travel agency for June and bought the travel insurance through them too. It covers events before your cruise (if you get sick, refund your cruise fare), during your cruise, and airfare if delay or cancelled.
Travel insurance doesn't cover you if you want to cancel arbitrarily on your own before final payment date. Travel insurance covers unforeseen circumstances that force you to cancel.
Unforeseen would be like if there were a hurricane at the port and the cruise was canceled. Vs arbitrarily which would be if you had something come up and wanted to rebook for a different date. I think of travel insurance as something that could effect many people while refundable is if something only happens to you.
I'm definitely excited to see what they're going to have for dining. I'm hoping with the new aqua theater that they might do a sort of dinner and a show thing. I think NCL does something like this.
Disagree on the refundable. Why pay the $150 refundable fee on every cruise to save a $200 change fee that probably will never happen. Even if it does, unless you are canceling every other cruise, it's just not worth it.
"That will probably never happen" In my experience, this happens far more often than you think. I hear from so many people that cancel or change their plans and run into the fee.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog But why pay a $150 fee EVERY time instead of a $200 fee once inawhile? The refundable fare is only worth it for those who may outright cancel frequently.
@julieb7882 They add a fee of $150 to make it refundable. To change a cruise they charge $100 per person. So for a couple, it makes no sense to pay the $150 on every cruise in the off chance you might save $50 if you needed to make a change.
Speaking of changes, here's one I hope they change (back). We just got off a 10 day cruise on the Radiance, While dining in the dining room is one of our favorite thing of cruising, a new change has made it somewhat uncomfortable. While dining, we like to try several things offered on the menu. For example, we may want to try two appetizers. When we order, I would also tell the waiter to bring them at the same time. Well, as of January 30th, the day of our cruise, I was told by the waiter that a new policy for Royal is to not bring any two ordered items for one person at the same time. They would need to be served one after the other. That sounds like that would not be a big deal, just making the dining experience slightly disappointing. However, we found out it was a bigger deal than that. If you are sitting at a large table with guests you are not necessarily traveling with and you order two appetizers, they will bring them one after the other. If the other guests at the table only order one, they will have to wait until you have finished both before bring out the entre. While this may sound simple, the waiter has other table to serve, and therefore, may not bring your second appetizer right away. Then, all the sudden, the rest of the table is ready to move on to the entre and there you are, either waiting for the second item to be delivered, or trying to finish it. Then you become that guy everyone is looking at. This makes you either want to forgo your preferred experience, or try to rush through it in order to prevent the others at the table from having to wait on you. Not the dining experience we have enjoyed for years on Royal. Hope enough people bring this to their attention and they change this policy back.
we are leaving in 5 days. new menus are being used. I believe we will have starlink. We are in a grand suite because it's an old ship so wifi is included.
A lot of good advice. I would love to travel with carry on bags only. I don't because one of my favorite things to do is buy a bottle of the local adult beverage to bring home. Since it can't be carried on, the only alternative is to pack it in my checked bag.
A tip that I do for this exact thing, is you are usually allowed a personal and carryon bag. I will take a full carryon with a quarter/half full backpack with me. This way my luggage won’t get lost on the way there. Then I will check the carryon on the way back and put that bottle in there. I will move whatever from my carryon to the backpack for space for the bottle. Best wishes!
Has the Dinning package changed? We booked the Icon of the Seas in May 2024 and the dining package isn't there yet. Is the reason for that because it is a new ship and there are new dining options that are not released to the public yet?
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog off to find the dimensions of those machines. We’ve not cruised before so trying to gather information. Thank you for your videos. They are extremely helpful.
How does the a la carte work? It said we can't use the $20 dollar credit twice at the same restaurant, but can have the $20 dollar credit at two different restaurants?
Change is inevitable, with that being said, there are some things on the MDR menu that should just not change. What I look forward to is shrimp cocktail and cheesecake every night, my favorite. I don't eat chocolate, and they have a lot of new chocolate on the menu. Or so I seems they do because the cheesecake has been taken off most nights menu, and I had to look at the other options.
I just discovered this great channel. Question: I'm going on my first cruise later this month. We have a balcony room on Brilliance of the Seas. Will there be an iron in the room? Thanks.
No irons are allowed on the ships for fire safety. You can use the bag that is in your room and fill it with clothes needing pressing. Then give it to your room steward. Usually the cost is about $10. We do this all the time and have never had a problem.
Only British cruise ships have irons (P&O have a self service laundry on every deck - includes washing machines, tumble dryers, irons and ironing boards)! Plus they have kettles in each cabin! However, the cruise experience is REALLY BASIC - not bad, but not exciting and action packed. Very British.
My wife and I booked our first time on a oasis. Plus where taking our daughter on her first cruise. We’re sailing this fall. My wife down loaded royal Caribbean’s app. We sailed on Mardi Gras last January and we had to test plus wear that dumb mask . So miserable.. where so thankful we don’t have to have worry about those masks or testing.
Hi! Why is an earlier check in better? Just curious. After reading how crowded the buffet is the first day we moved our check in to later so we can just go out to lunch in Texas. Is there something we will lose or miss out on by checking in later? Leaving 1/23. Thanks!
Boarding earlier maximizes your (paid) vacation time. You also have many other free options aside from the buffet. Do you want to pay for a lunch in Texas or would you possibly rather have a free lunch on board the ship? This is always what I consider before choosing a boarding time. Enjoy your cruise!
Plus - if you’re going to pay for lunch, prebook a speciality restaurant on the ship - the menu is sometimes cheaper. Your holiday starts when you step on the ship…
Can someone please explain the thumbnail? Why is Playmakers sundae a "don't?" If you have the UDP, the sundae is included, but the same ice cream at the Sugar Shack is not.
If your traveling on a closed loop from California (or any other state) where THC products are legal for recreational, does that mean your ok to board with it? The RC policy says no illegal drugs, so I was curious if they are applying state of departure or federal law.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog I'm not talking about deporting at any port with anything, just specifically on the Royal Caribbean ship. How do they enforce the no illegal drugs rule when it comes to THC products? Specifically when boarding as well as when using areas on the boat that allow smoking will you be allowed or not?
LOL. My travel agent told me I had to book with a specific one and within 7 days of deposit. It was way too much so I didn't buy it. I'll look elsewhere now that I know. Especially interested since our schedules don't allow us getting there a day in advance.
How do you do laundry on RC cruise? They don't have laundry facilities. No way am I paying for them to do it in their facilities with others or will I do it in the sink...gross options...
I put aside certain clothes that are fast drying for travel. I wash at night and hang in the closet to dry. It dries by morning. Don't use cotton. Synthetic dries faster. We travel hand luggage only. For dinner we dress smart casual and reuse also mix and match. We have done 7 night cruise.
You can’t just cancel your cruise and get your money back even refundable cruises with insurance. I’m dealing with this now. My mate can’t go, I want to cancel 18 days out and they told me I get no money back from Royal Carribean and that I would have to go thru insurance and insurance said you needed to have a medical emergency or something with proof to cancel and get a refund and it still didn’t guarantee all of my money back.
How long is your trip? 7 day trips usually have 2 formal nights. (I’ve gone on Oasis & Harmony) One on day 2 & the other day 6. & 6 night trips are usually days 2 & 5. But You can check your daily planner on the Royal Caribbean app. They typically will add the details a bit closer to the date on what the attire is for the night under the 5pm time slot.
I like KittKatt’s tip, but you can also look at Matt’s website to view a recent Harmony cruise compass for your itinerary. He linked it in another comment herein.
@@Kitt_Katt__KittHi, we are going on 6 nights. RC app just posted yesterday their daily planner which shows night two as a formal night but descriptions of the night themes for any of the nights are not posted. Many suggest to check compas but it won't do me any good once I am on the ship. I would like to pack accordingly. Also what is the deal with a white dress night, is that on all ships!
I find getting an EARLY check-in time before the cruise extremely helpful. You can waltz right on the ship on Embarkation Day by doing that!
Binge watching all of your videos plus new videos. Have a Freedom cruise booked for March with my fiance, our first time on a cruise. These videos are really helping with the nervousness. Thanks
How was it?
Hey Matt, I just back from an 11 night cruise on Anthem of the Seas to the Southern Caribbean where Royal Caribbean let me go onto the bow of the ship to propose to my GF and she is now my Fiancee !!!!!! This made her first cruise even more special.
Congratulations!
We're the menus different for the last 3 nights, with the new menus or were they rrpeats?
@@kathyreid3488 We got the unlimited dining package so we never ate at the MDR. It was so worth it, the steaks at Chops and the Pasta at Jamie's. The Best!!!!
Matt, thanks for the tip about pre-purchasing and cancelling if there is a better deal. I always pre-purchase but didn’t realize that I could cancel and re-purchase if the price ended up dropping. I just went to the Royal Caribbean site and noticed that our Internet package price had dropped for our upcoming cruise so I cancelled the original and rebooked with the lower price with no problem! I owe you a drink with some of the money I saved! Thanks so much!
I just did the same thing!
Hi, when you cancelled, did you pay the lower price and then got the full refund of the previous or were you refunded the difference?
@@LeslieAM32 I received a full refund for the first when I cancelled it and then had to pay the full (lower) amount for the re-purchase.
The safety drill os really for everyone's safety and it is always safe to know where to go and what to do if the emergency arises. There is no better feeling than knowing that ships are strict about safety. Thank you Royal Caribbean
Thank you for all the tips. I recently learned while sailing with my birth certificate because my passport was getting renewed that a closed loop cruise, one that starts and ends at the SAME US port, not just any US port is fine with my birth certificate. I could not have sailed on a Panama canal cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale and Returning to LA.
Right. For people who enjoy knowing WHY, look up the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative for all of the rules about closed-loop cruises. There are some interesting exceptions to the closed-loop rule, like sailing to Martinique requires a passport. Who knew?
We have a yearly insurance plan. We have done 9 cruises since August 2021 and it pays. Thank you, we are booked on 4 more Royal, until the Icon in January 2024.
My advice for traveling in RC in 2023 is to take the unlimited restaurant package, two weeks ago we went to RC Harmony of the Seas for 7 nights in the Caribbean ( july 2023 )and the food both in the main dining room and in the buffet was terrible, with few options, small portions and little variety. We had to pay for the restaurant package to be able to eat a decent meal, also the breakfast was very bad. The restaurants were good, Chopper and 150 Central Park were my favorites. It is worth mentioning that I have traveled with RC on 6 occasions, and I had never experienced this problem with food
The wife n I are working with a travel agent to go on Royal Caribbean cruise this spring. Good points to know
The Jazz band on Odyssey was amazing. Cant wait.
Great job, as always, Matt - thank you!
I am HOPEFULLY going on RCL for my 1st time this September (NE/Canada). I say HOPEFULLY because this cruise has been n the planning since 2018, and has been cancelled/rebooked (sometimes by me, sometimes by RCL). I have learned SO MUCH from you n that time, and will continue to do so. So - VERY grateful for you, and all your hard work!
I hope your cruise was a blast!
Thank you for slowing up...listened to the entire blog and was able to understand your tips and thoughts.
If you could just slow a little more it would be great....will stay subscribed as long as you stay on a slowed pace when sharing...
THANK YOU!!!
My idea: DON’T GET EXCURSIONS ON COCOA CAY! The island has so many fun free things like the amazing beach or pool
Good to know! Going there soon for the first time
I agree with everything and do your research. We wanted to go to a specialty restaurant so I watched some videos and discovered that Jamie’s Italian has the same menu for lunch and dinner so we booked for lunch for half the price! Watch some videos and check out the specialty restaurants and reviews on your ship.
I really wanted to try the cococay beach club. Almost $300 per person for my March sailing on wonder. Too rich for my blood.
Remember that closed loop has to leave and come back from THE SAME PORT! It is not considered closed loop if you leave Miami go to Cozumel and then disembark in Galveston.
All good stuff Matt. MSC is working the US market. Hopefully this will keep pricing in check at least a bit.
I WISH MSC would actually compete in the Us market. They have been insisting for years that they are catering to US Americans, but I’m just not seeing it. Some people enjoy it, but the vast majority of cruisers I’ve talked to just didn’t enjoy them.
Taking a cruise this year instead of Disneyland$$$ has brought me here...
The tips were great, this will be my families 1st cruise. 😃🌞
Glad it was helpful!
Exactly 2 months away from our destiny with Harmony of The Seas snd 8 days of awesomeness!
Don't forget custody orders and marriage license for documents! My wife thought I was crazy but when they asked for them we were glad we had them
What if you are getting married but it won’t be official until you get back?
The dining package restriction issue was very good information!
I think the new themed menu is great.
I watched Royal Blogs videos before my first Royal cruise earlier this month and I couldn’t been done checking in so quickly without the tips. Yes, check through the app ahead of time because it is a easy walk in situation and complete your Muster Station the minute you walk on. It’s super easy and no crowd of people waiting for a presentation because it all done in the app. Love watching the new videos to get top for my cruise Feb ‘24. My tip for everyone with My Time Dinning, make a reservation. We didn’t do this our first night and it was a mess with a long waits reservations are quick and easy for mid day dinners.
Had the crusted salmon twice on the Quantum of the seas last week , absolutely delicious 🇦🇺🥰
If you're traveling with a minor child that is not yours, make sure you get a paper signed and dated by either both parents or the legal custodial parent saying that it is okay for you to take that child out of the state and country with you and make sure you have it notarized or spend a few dollars and have something drawn up by an attorney. It'll help to avoid extra questions when they see the last names don't match due to human trafficking measures. This is a helpful tip I pulled of the internet, and I think Carnival's site as well.
Good info. We are booked on the RCCL Independence of the Seas in September out of Port Canaveral. While the cruise fare for the aft balcony isn't much higher than the 2019 cruise we took on RCCL Mariner, the Cococay excursions are WAY more expensive! Wow!
We'll be on the same trip! 😊
@@Naldo_S1K I ended up cancelling this years September cruise on RCCL and instead taking our next RCCL cruise on the Allure next year February.
@@TheRiverPirate13 well shucks! Thought I was going to make a UA-cam friend! 😁 Enjoy your cruise!
@@Naldo_S1K Lol! I met a few fellow UA-camrs on my last MSC Seaside cruise last April. So funny we all did different videos of that cruise.
I will fly the same day if the port is in CA. Only because it's only a 45 minute to 1 hour flight. And I'll book a 6am flight with a 1pm check-in time at port. So I don't worry about delays.
as a transition have one hotel night both before and after your cruise.
Being a full fledged picky eater, deleting the nightly basic choices from the MDR menu sucks!
I was very disappointed with the new MDR menu on my Wonder cruise earlier this year. There were some nights when nothing appealed to me.
DEFINITELY FLY THE DAY BEFORE!! I made the horrible rookie mistake when I was younger and going on my first cruise. I flew the same day and me and my friends MISSED the cruise ship because the plane broke down!! We had to then waste money on another flight to catch it in Puerto Rico and on a hotel for the night (which we should’ve invested in the day before) So we missed the first 2 days of our cruise, it didn’t feel like the same after. I will never do that again!!
We are going Transatlantic in 20 days on Anthem of the Seas (May 1 2023) NJ to Southampton UK and RC has emailed us saying that a pre cruise COVID test is NOT required but we need to provide a vaccination card.
Arriving at the port the day before is also good because travel to port can wipe you enough without having the cruise boarding on top of it.
I should have watched this first! 😢I’m a first time cruiser. My flight is scheduled to arrive in Miami at 9:30am. We are set to sail at 4pm from the Miami port.
I would change your flight to the day before. That sail time doesn't mean you can get on the ship at 3:59. You're playing with fire.
Definitely get travel insurance! I got a plan for 4 people for about $80. Definitely better safe than sorry...especially for the medical alone.
Do you have a video that explains that last dining package better? Is this a specialty dining package? Or is this just everyone dining? Do you have to get some kind of stamp or card? How do they know you're going to the same restaurant more than once in a day?
ua-cam.com/video/HSpwxIlXDo8/v-deo.html
Don't forget to always check if you credit card gives you travel insurance that works. I didn't know this and later realized that as long as one paid the entire cruise on the card, there was trip insurance automatically covering the trip. You of course have to make sure it's insurance that covers what you're doing..but don't pay more if you can!
Can you do a video on Travel insurance... what specifically to look for to ensure you have and know what to ensure you r covered. ?
ua-cam.com/video/BHaS6hfWdPk/v-deo.html
Going to Bermuda in May, can’t wait!
My wife I Are taking my. Wife’s sister on her first cruise on the oasis!
Some of your t ips are good advice for any cruise line.
That's true!
And the Mardi Gras there bolt wasn’t free. It’s so nice here there activities are free and have a my favorite Starbucks on board
Two cruises booked for 2023 and one booked but four planned for 2024! I haven't cruised since 2015 and this summer will be my first with my daughter. She has special and medical needs so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I know we will have an amazing time though!
I tried to book a refundable fare, but it was $400 more than non-refundable. It would be cheaper to cancel with the penalty.
Not really. Just larger deposit that is refundable. Cruise price should not increase by $400.
No, you'd be out that money vs cancelling/changing with refundable you're out no money. Flexibility is worth something.
And if you're okay with the penalty, that's great. Unfortunately I hear from so many people who don't understand why they can't make a change without a cost.
The one I booked would have been well over a thousand dollars more for non-refundable.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog That's great if there is no price difference between the two. If there is, you have to weigh the odds of cancelling vs. paying the "insurance" of a refundable deposit.
HELP! Question: you state to always book your cruise through a reliable Travel Agent. It in other videos you state to book through Next Cruise while on board.
Which is it? I’m a little confused.
Matt thanks for the good advice. Have tried using the Royal Caribbean blog for past cruise compasses but they aren't there. Any advice on how to get them?
Anything I have is here: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass
We're at the mercy of readers to send them in
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog thank you
Hey, have you done a blog on western cruise (Cozumel) vs eastern Caribbean cruise Bahamas, Cocoa Cay. Done Bahamas 2x. Hearing about ppl having to pay taxis to get to private beaches in cozumel. Not sure how it works there. Don’t know enough. Thinking cocoa cay is so much easier for my family situation.
@@lotuslilus Cozumel taxis are very prevalent and relatively cheap. Last time I was there we took a taxi to Paradise Beach for about $10.
I’m excited about the new menu!
Great tips! Thanks! We are going on a cruise in June! Freedom of the Seas!❤
Quick question in regards to travel insurance. When you book a Royal Caribbean cruise and have the option to purchase the travel insurance then, does that count towards what you were referring to being medical and stuff? Or is this something independent of the travel insurance plan offered by Royal Caribbean?
I don’t know the specific answer to your question, but I have observed from my previous cruises, that it is far more cost effective to buy your Travel Insurance independently from the cruise line (whichever cruise line it may be).
Personally, I have noticed that buying Medical Travel Insurance is significantly cheaper, independently and assures that medical attention onboard as well as transportation to an onshore facility is covered.
Make sure that you state that you wish for cruise insurance coverage.
I booked an Alaska cruise through a travel agency for June and bought the travel insurance through them too. It covers events before your cruise (if you get sick, refund your cruise fare), during your cruise, and airfare if delay or cancelled.
What do you think of an annual travel insurance policy like Allianz?
Would you get refundable cruise fare AND travel insurance, seems redundant
Travel insurance doesn't cover you if you want to cancel arbitrarily on your own before final payment date.
Travel insurance covers unforeseen circumstances that force you to cancel.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog do you have examples of arbitrary and unforeseen? How do you prove to travel insurance the difference?
Unforeseen would be like if there were a hurricane at the port and the cruise was canceled. Vs arbitrarily which would be if you had something come up and wanted to rebook for a different date. I think of travel insurance as something that could effect many people while refundable is if something only happens to you.
@@hayleabean That makes sense,thanks!
Travel insurance is a must i had to change my flight i had my insurance
If you are doing a closed loop cruise a green card is also valid in lieu of a passport.
great advice. cant wait to see the new restaurents on the ICON
I'm definitely excited to see what they're going to have for dining. I'm hoping with the new aqua theater that they might do a sort of dinner and a show thing. I think NCL does something like this.
Great information matt
Disagree on the refundable. Why pay the $150 refundable fee on every cruise to save a $200 change fee that probably will never happen. Even if it does, unless you are canceling every other cruise, it's just not worth it.
"That will probably never happen" In my experience, this happens far more often than you think. I hear from so many people that cancel or change their plans and run into the fee.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog
But why pay a $150 fee EVERY time instead of a $200 fee once inawhile? The refundable fare is only worth it for those who may outright cancel frequently.
@@MattGluntVideos so are you saying they raise your cruise fare by $150 dollars ? I thought it was just a higher deposit price.
@@julieb7882Yep, the fares are higher!
@julieb7882
They add a fee of $150 to make it refundable. To change a cruise they charge $100 per person. So for a couple, it makes no sense to pay the $150 on every cruise in the off chance you might save $50 if you needed to make a change.
Speaking of changes, here's one I hope they change (back). We just got off a 10 day cruise on the Radiance, While dining in the dining room is one of our favorite thing of cruising, a new change has made it somewhat uncomfortable. While dining, we like to try several things offered on the menu. For example, we may want to try two appetizers. When we order, I would also tell the waiter to bring them at the same time. Well, as of January 30th, the day of our cruise, I was told by the waiter that a new policy for Royal is to not bring any two ordered items for one person at the same time. They would need to be served one after the other. That sounds like that would not be a big deal, just making the dining experience slightly disappointing. However, we found out it was a bigger deal than that. If you are sitting at a large table with guests you are not necessarily traveling with and you order two appetizers, they will bring them one after the other. If the other guests at the table only order one, they will have to wait until you have finished both before bring out the entre. While this may sound simple, the waiter has other table to serve, and therefore, may not bring your second appetizer right away. Then, all the sudden, the rest of the table is ready to move on to the entre and there you are, either waiting for the second item to be delivered, or trying to finish it. Then you become that guy everyone is looking at. This makes you either want to forgo your preferred experience, or try to rush through it in order to prevent the others at the table from having to wait on you. Not the dining experience we have enjoyed for years on Royal. Hope enough people bring this to their attention and they change this policy back.
They're trying to make you order less food
we are leaving in 5 days. new menus are being used. I believe we will have starlink. We are in a grand suite because it's an old ship so wifi is included.
I just got off the Oasis, they are still ignoring the once-per-day limitation at the a la cart restaurants.
A lot of good advice. I would love to travel with carry on bags only. I don't because one of my favorite things to do is buy a bottle of the local adult beverage to bring home. Since it can't be carried on, the only alternative is to pack it in my checked bag.
A tip that I do for this exact thing, is you are usually allowed a personal and carryon bag. I will take a full carryon with a quarter/half full backpack with me. This way my luggage won’t get lost on the way there. Then I will check the carryon on the way back and put that bottle in there. I will move whatever from my carryon to the backpack for space for the bottle. Best wishes!
@@hayleabean Thanks for the tip.
Limited aka cart meals??? Please do a video on this.
Do you know if royal Caribbean will CHARGE a few with new adult area in the Bahamas?
Booked 3 yes 3 RCL's this Year. Thanks Matt! Always Helpful!!! 👍!
Thanks for the tips. I'm cruising in 10 days.
Glad it was helpful!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Has the Dinning package changed? We booked the Icon of the Seas in May 2024 and the dining package isn't there yet. Is the reason for that because it is a new ship and there are new dining options that are not released to the public yet?
Yes, it's not there yet because it's a new ship. I'm sure it will eventually show up
for one it’s a new ship and two the date is far away
Is there a size limit for the carryon bag like there is for airlines? 10:55
The only limit is it must be able to fit in the security x ray machines in the terminal
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog off to find the dimensions of those machines. We’ve not cruised before so trying to gather information. Thank you for your videos. They are extremely helpful.
i’m going on a transatlic cruise and need to get tested, any idea on how it works if I went to cvs? how do I show them it’s negative?
Keyword was book a good travel agent if you don’t have one you gotta do what you Gotta do
Any tips for lo ger sailings? I have a 10 day coming up and want some tips. Did a 7 day last year.
How does the a la carte work? It said we can't use the $20 dollar credit twice at the same restaurant, but can have the $20 dollar credit at two different restaurants?
My passport took 15 weeks on a renewal and I received invalid photo on week 12. Thank heavens I found my birth certificate.
Change is inevitable, with that being said, there are some things on the MDR menu that should just not change. What I look forward to is shrimp cocktail and cheesecake every night, my favorite. I don't eat chocolate, and they have a lot of new chocolate on the menu. Or so I seems they do because the cheesecake has been taken off most nights menu, and I had to look at the other options.
I just discovered this great channel. Question: I'm going on my first cruise later this month. We have a balcony room on Brilliance of the Seas. Will there be an iron in the room? Thanks.
No irons are allowed on the ships for fire safety. You can use the bag that is in your room and fill it with clothes needing pressing. Then give it to your room steward. Usually the cost is about $10. We do this all the time and have never had a problem.
No, irons are not allowed and not provided
Only British cruise ships have irons (P&O have a self service laundry on every deck - includes washing machines, tumble dryers, irons and ironing boards)! Plus they have kettles in each cabin!
However, the cruise experience is REALLY BASIC - not bad, but not exciting and action packed. Very British.
19 more days i cant wait😅😅😅😅
My wife and I booked our first time on a oasis. Plus where taking our daughter on her first cruise. We’re sailing this fall. My wife down loaded royal Caribbean’s app. We sailed on Mardi Gras last January and we had to test plus wear that dumb mask . So miserable.. where so thankful we don’t have to have worry about those masks or testing.
I have a question for you. Are there Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on the allure. Going in April. So excited!!
Yes there are! Look for events called “friends of bill w”
Congrats on your sobriety!
41 years and counting. Thank you!!
All good info Matt. Are there self serve laundry facilities on any RC ships? If so, which ones?
RC does not have self service laundry, but they do offer a laundry service.
No, there's no self service laundry on Royal Caribbean ships
Some videos you said do not buy insurance
Hi! Why is an earlier check in better? Just curious. After reading how crowded the buffet is the first day we moved our check in to later so we can just go out to lunch in Texas. Is there something we will lose or miss out on by checking in later? Leaving 1/23. Thanks!
Boarding earlier maximizes your (paid) vacation time. You also have many other free options aside from the buffet. Do you want to pay for a lunch in Texas or would you possibly rather have a free lunch on board the ship? This is always what I consider before choosing a boarding time. Enjoy your cruise!
Plus - if you’re going to pay for lunch, prebook a speciality restaurant on the ship - the menu is sometimes cheaper. Your holiday starts when you step on the ship…
Doesn’t travel insurance cover the cost of the cruise if you’re unable to go?
Only for covered reasons
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog thank you for the clarification. I will look into it better.
Can someone please explain the thumbnail? Why is Playmakers sundae a "don't?" If you have the UDP, the sundae is included, but the same ice cream at the Sugar Shack is not.
If your traveling on a closed loop from California (or any other state) where THC products are legal for recreational, does that mean your ok to board with it? The RC policy says no illegal drugs, so I was curious if they are applying state of departure or federal law.
It doesn’t matter if it’s legal in California or where you live. You’re visiting other countries where it could be illegal. Check Mexico’s laws
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog I'm not talking about deporting at any port with anything, just specifically on the Royal Caribbean ship. How do they enforce the no illegal drugs rule when it comes to THC products? Specifically when boarding as well as when using areas on the boat that allow smoking will you be allowed or not?
@@it_is_what_it_is_brotha it is not allowed
Ahhhhhhh, the way he said arrabiata and chipotle gave me an aneurysm LOL
How do you find a GOOD (great????) travel agent??
Word of mouth recommendation
so can I still buy travel insurance if my cruise is in less than 2 weeks lol and which do you recommend
Go to insuremytrip.com and find the right policy for you
Potentially Nov 9th on jewel of the seas!!! Just waiting for husbands work to approve the time off
We did our honeymoon on Jewel! You'll love her. Fingers crossed your husband gets the time off!!!!
@@pianointhedesert He got the approval today! Called RC as soon as he got home to put my $ on our sailing! Going with our then to be 18 month old.
@@scottishgirl1100 Wonderful! Definitely take advantage of the nursery for your toddler if it's on board- ALL of you will love it. ;)
@@pianointhedesert dont think there is a nursery on the ship but that's ok! I'd rather have my son with me.
There are nursery’s on every ship. You’ll enjoy using it for date night - treat yourselves! ❤
Leaving in 3 days woop woop
We have to have our passports for a cruise that begins and ends in California
LOL. My travel agent told me I had to book with a specific one and within 7 days of deposit. It was way too much so I didn't buy it. I'll look elsewhere now that I know. Especially interested since our schedules don't allow us getting there a day in advance.
Buy a block of stock, because it gives you onboard credit for each cruise.
When will you do a 2024 video?
I wish we could get refundable cruises in the UK. RCI don't have them for UK clients!
How do you do laundry on RC cruise? They don't have laundry facilities. No way am I paying for them to do it in their facilities with others or will I do it in the sink...gross options...
I put aside certain clothes that are fast drying for travel. I wash at night and hang in the closet to dry. It dries by morning. Don't use cotton. Synthetic dries faster. We travel hand luggage only. For dinner we dress smart casual and reuse also mix and match. We have done 7 night cruise.
Take some disinfecting wipes to clean sink before and after laundry. I have also seen where people use gallon size ziplock bag to launder clothes.
I just always pack enough clothes for the entire trip so I don't have to wear something twice so no need to wash anything
@Meg Xoxo when you go on 14 plus days it's a little hard to do that though!
You can’t just cancel your cruise and get your money back even refundable cruises with insurance. I’m dealing with this now. My mate can’t go, I want to cancel 18 days out and they told me I get no money back from Royal Carribean and that I would have to go thru insurance and insurance said you needed to have a medical emergency or something with proof to cancel and get a refund and it still didn’t guarantee all of my money back.
Can anyone explain how to find out on what day is the formal night? Harmony in 12 days
How long is your trip? 7 day trips usually have 2 formal nights. (I’ve gone on Oasis & Harmony) One on day 2 & the other day 6. & 6 night trips are usually days 2 & 5. But You can check your daily planner on the Royal Caribbean app. They typically will add the details a bit closer to the date on what the attire is for the night under the 5pm time slot.
I like KittKatt’s tip, but you can also look at Matt’s website to view a recent Harmony cruise compass for your itinerary. He linked it in another comment herein.
@@jackiebyers3424 thanks
@@Kitt_Katt__KittHi, we are going on 6 nights. RC app just posted yesterday their daily planner which shows night two as a formal night but descriptions of the night themes for any of the nights are not posted. Many suggest to check compas but it won't do me any good once I am on the ship. I would like to pack accordingly. Also what is the deal with a white dress night, is that on all ships!
Now I puzzled with what does "Dress to Impress"? There will be a 70's disco after party? So does it mean I should pull out my flare pants?
From the thumbnail I though Matt was going to say don’t go to Playmakers 😅
I didn't know there was a restriction on the dining package. That's unfortunate. It doesn't really make it unlimited then.
If you need to cancel, they won't apply the money to another cruise?
The video says they don't cost a lot but the travel insurance quote I got was about 40% of the price of the cruise!
Just like car insurance, there are many insurance providers and rates
Don’t buy insurance from the cruise line - use an independent insurance company and buy an Annual one if you can - far cheaper.
Why do you suggest a travel agent? I thought you guys did the reservations for us when we call you.....