9 things that surprise people on Royal Caribbean

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.

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!!😂

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.

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!!!

Our first cruise was back in 1999. Carnival Paradise (non smoking ship). We switched to RC after 3 Carnival cruises. First timers remember you are on SHIP time. Pay attention! Do not rely on locals (bartenders) or tour people to tell you the correct time, or expect them to get you back to the ship if you do your own thing apart from booked excursion. I rented a tux for our first cruise; never again, not necessary. Relax and enjoy!

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!!!

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.

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 😅

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.

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.

For the multiple dishes at the MDR, you order both, but they will put in the orders in succession.

They don’t do this anymore but main dining room was a 7 course meal on my first cruise.

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.

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.

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.

My first Cruise, ever, was the 2024 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise. It was in late January to early February, and it was on the Freedom Of The Seas Ship. I loved every part of it. I'll be going back, next year. It will be on the Independence Of The Seas Ship.

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…

That was the same exact cruise ship that I was on in 2022😊

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..