Royal Caribbean Cruise Mistakes: What I'd Do Differently on My First Sailing

Crafted Travel Company

2 days ago

7 min read

I've been a travel advisor for years, and most of my cruising has been on Princess. So when I finally sailed Royal Caribbean for the first time on Quantum of the Seas cruise out of Los Angeles, I knew I'd learn a few things. What I didn't expect was how many avoidable Royal Caribbean cruise mistakes I'd make anyway.

A few came down to waiting too long. A few came down to assuming a package worked the way it does on other lines. And a couple were small costs that quietly added up. None of them ruined the trip, but all of them are easy to avoid once you know about them.

One note before we start: the discount percentages and price limits below are from my sailing, and they can change by ship and date. Always check the current numbers in your own Royal Caribbean app.

Key Takeaways

Package discounts shrink as your sail date gets closer. If you think you'll want a drink package, dining package, or The Key, decide soon after you book.
Don't wait on dining reservations for a first-day discount. On my sailing, bigger discounts were available earlier.
Royal Caribbean's drink package works like most other lines', with a daily drink limit and a price cap per drink. The dining package is different: some restaurants still carry surcharges, and others work more like a daily voucher.
You may not need the dining package at all. The included dining is very good, and some venues are inexpensive à la carte.
Get to the pool early on a sea day. Lounge chairs were already filling up by 9:00 a.m.
Small costs add up, including cocktails over your package's price cap, arcade games, and auto-added gratuities.
Keep an eye on the app and your account. Mine showed a reservation I never made.

Mistake 1: Waiting on Royal Caribbean Package Discounts

If you've already booked a Royal Caribbean cruise and downloaded the app (and if you haven't, I highly recommend it), you've probably noticed discounts on drink packages, dining packages, some activities, and The Key.

Here's what I didn't realize: those discounts shrink as your sail date gets closer.

When I first booked, I was seeing discounts of up to about 40%. By the time I finally decided, yes, we'll get a drink package, and yes, I think The Key is worth it, I'd already lost roughly 20% of that savings. In other words, I got about half the discount I could have had.

If there's any chance you'll want a package, make the decision soon after you book, while the discount is at its highest.

Mistake 2: Holding Off on Dining Reservations for The Key's First-Day Discount

One of the packages I bought was The Key. If you've been researching Royal Caribbean, you've probably heard other YouTubers debate whether it's worth it. I bought it because I wanted to experience it firsthand so I can speak from real experience with my clients. It has its pluses and minuses, and I'll cover those in a future video.

One of its listed perks is a discount on dining reservations if you wait to book them until the first day of your cruise. I'd already missed the best package discounts, so I decided to wait.

What I didn't take into account is that bigger discounts were available earlier, back when dining reservations first opened. I did get a discount on the first day because of The Key, but it wasn't as high as it could have been.

Before you wait for a perk, check what the discount is right now. The "wait for it" deal isn't automatically the better one.

Mistake 3: Misunderstanding How the Packages Actually Work

The drink package works a lot like drink packages on other cruise lines. You get a set number of drinks per day (usually capped at around 15, though some packages are unlimited), and there's a maximum dollar amount per drink. Bottles of wine usually aren't included. That all felt familiar.

The dining package is different. Yes, it includes specialty dining, but some restaurants still charge extra on certain items even with the package. At others, it works more like a voucher. On my sailing, I believe it was around $20 a day, and anything above that you pay à la carte. You also pay for the package for every day of the cruise, whether or not you eat specialty dining every day.

I chose not to buy it, and I'm glad I didn't. We ate at specialty and casual restaurants so rarely that paying à la carte made more sense. Harp & Horn, for example, had nothing on the menu over $10 that I saw, with very reasonable prices overall. When we did eat at specialty restaurants, I was happy paying à la carte.

Also worth knowing: the included dining on Royal Caribbean is fantastic. You can eat only the included meals and be very happy with your choices.

So the mistake here isn't buying the wrong package. It's assuming you need one. Compare the numbers against how often you realistically think you'll eat specialty dining.

Mistake 4: Showing Up Late to the Pool on a Sea Day

This one you probably know, but it's worth repeating: if you plan to spend the day at the pool, especially on a sea day, get there early.

We spent a lot of time at the adults-only pool, and the lounge chairs filled up very quickly.

Royal Caribbean encourages guests not to save chairs and then leave, but people did it anyway. By 9:00 or 9:45 in the morning, a good number of chairs were already taken.

If a pool day is the plan, get there earlier than feels necessary. You'll have your spot and more time to enjoy it.

Mistake 5: Underestimating the Little Costs

Even with packages, some costs are extra, and they add up.

Cocktails over your package's price cap. If I remember right, the cap on my sailing was around $15, and some cocktails were $16, $17, or $18. If you order one, you'll pay the difference.
À la carte items even with a dining package. Some menu items carry a surcharge regardless.
Arcade games, air hockey, and foosball. If you're traveling with family, you buy tokens like you would at an arcade at home. That builds over time.
Auto-added gratuities. I hadn't included gratuities when I booked because I planned to give cash directly to my cabin attendant. Since I'd never sailed Royal Caribbean before, I didn't know gratuities are added automatically unless you specifically opt out. On the second-to-last day, I checked my spending and there they were. It was an expense I wasn't expecting.

Check your onboard account as you go, so nothing surprises you at the end.

Bonus: The Royal Caribbean App Can Be Wonky

This isn't a mistake, just something I noticed. The one negative I'd mention about Royal Caribbean is that the app (and sometimes the website) doesn't always work the way you expect.

On my cruise, it created a reservation for us at a restaurant. We'd eaten there the night before, and the next day it showed up as a lunch reservation we never made. We still don't know why. We didn't go, and they didn't charge us, so it was fine, but it appeared out of the blue.

Keep a side eye on the app and your spending, so nothing shows up that you're not expecting.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should you buy Royal Caribbean packages? As early as possible after you book. On my sailing, package discounts were highest when I first booked, at up to about 40%, and they shrank as the sail date got closer. By the time I bought my drink package and The Key, I'd lost roughly half of the savings I could have had. Discounts vary by ship and date, so check the current numbers in your Royal Caribbean app. If there's a good chance you'll want a package, decide while the discount is biggest.

Is the Royal Caribbean dining package worth it? It depends on how often you'll eat at specialty restaurants. The package includes specialty dining, but some venues still charge extra on certain items, and at others it works like a daily voucher, around $20 a day on my sailing, with anything over that paid à la carte. You pay for it every day of the cruise. We ate at specialty and casual restaurants so rarely that paying à la carte was the better choice. The included dining is very good, so many cruisers won't need it.

What costs extra with a Royal Caribbean drink package? Several things. Cocktails priced above your package's per-drink cap cost extra; on my sailing the cap was around $15, and some cocktails were $16 to $18. Bottles of wine usually aren't included. Other extras, like arcade games, air hockey, and foosball, cost money regardless of your packages. Caps and prices can change, so check your package details in the app before you order.

Does Royal Caribbean automatically add gratuities? Yes. On my sailing, gratuities were added automatically unless I specifically opted out. I hadn't included them when I booked because I planned to tip my cabin attendant in cash, and I only noticed the charge on the second-to-last day. If you'd rather handle gratuities yourself, look into opting out before your cruise, and check your onboard account regularly so no charge surprises you.

How early should you get to the pool on a Royal Caribbean sea day? Earlier than you think. On my sailing, the lounge chairs at the adults-only pool filled up quickly, and by 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. a good number were already taken. Royal Caribbean encourages guests not to save chairs and then leave, but people still did. If a pool day is your plan, head up first thing in the morning so you can claim a spot and enjoy more time there.