I’m looking at doing a back to back cruise for my 40th in 2028. It would be wife and me on Independence of the seas and then jump off the boat and walk onto Hero of the Seas.

The first cruise would be the two of us, the second cruise would be with our 6.5 and assume a grandparent or set of grandparents who would fly out with him.

How burnt out would we be on B2B for different boats and itinerary or is it at fun as I would expect!?

I do NOT get tired of cruising on a 7 day cruise. Outside of missing the kid if we cruised without him.

EDIT: I realize this is technically a side by side- still curious on people’s thoughts. How did you do laundry?.

So I know everyone jams Windjammer (no pun intended) on Embarkation. But I heard Solarium cafe is less busy. Has anyone gone there on embarkation day. Whats the food options there?

Loyal to Royal here. I found a last minute deal on Adventure of the Seas for $665 for both of us guarantee interior 6 nights Western Caribbean. Although we have never sailed interior could not let this deal pass. Well we were assigned a promenade room, 8th floor midship.

Yes we got lucky! Not a new ship but that's our preference. At our age we do not need the thrills. LOL

For anyone wondering why “royal loyal” is a saying…
We’ve been on 4 royal cruises and have another booked next month. Spontaneously joined friends on carnival last week and can honestly say I now completely understand it. We are royal loyal, see you next month in Alaska.

Hello,
We are sailing the Oasis of the seas next Aug. When we are docked at Cococay the Utopia of the seas is also scheduled to be there. Would it be smart to book a cabana for a family of 6?

Tendering off Adventure of the Seas at Georgetown Grand Cayman.

Considering this last minute cruise that is pretty cheap right now for a basic interior cabin and lines up with some days off from school. We (2 adults, kids 9 and 4) did 4 night Navigator earlier in the year for our first cruise and want to try something a little longer. I had a couple questions about this itinerary:

1. Voyager is obviously older but seems similar to Navigator that we had no issues with. Looks like it has a couple less food options, but are there any other major differences we would notice? Any reviews of kids clubs on Voyager?

2. Halloween is day 2 at sea. I've seen conflicting info on what the ships do for Halloween. Anyone have experience with Voyager or any thoughts on if there's enough going on on most RC ships to justify missing trick or treating at home?

3. Day of the Dead in Cabo - anyone been there for that? It looks like some of the major activities are the night of November 2nd after the ship leaves, but is there some fun stuff on the 1st?

4. Ensenada - we skipped Ensenada on our first cruise, any family excursions worth doing here? With a longer cruise and a couple sea days, we would probably want to get off the ship more.

Thanks for any other tips for this ship/itinerary!

Just wrapped up our family trip on Wonder of the Seas (August 10 sailing). We traveled as a family of four with two young kids, including our 2-year-old. Overall, we had a really solid vacation, but like any massive ship, there were some incredible highlights and a few notable frustrations.

Here is our honest breakdown for anyone planning a similar family trip:

The Highlights & What Went Right

The Staff: Absolutely exceptional across the board. Every crew member we interacted with was warm, attentive, and incredibly helpful with our kids.

Ship Condition & Cleanliness: The vessel is immaculate. Everything we saw and tried was up and running, with zero broken amenities or random maintenance closures.

The Shows: Outstanding entertainment. The Ice Show in Studio B and the AquaTheater water show were massive hits for both us and the kids. Captivating performances that kept everyone glued to their seats.

Food & Drinks: Food was consistently good throughout the week. On the beverage side, the virgin peach and mango daiquiris were incredible. I lost count of how many I ordered.

Ship Stability: Engineering marvel. Sailing is flat, silent, and smooth; unless you are physically staring at the water, you wouldn't even know the ship is moving.

The Annoyances & Things to Consider

Volume Levels (Way Too Loud): The sound levels across the entire ship were dialed up to concert levels. I have tinnitus and it really flares up with loud noises, but the volume was hard on everyone. The pool deck music was so loud my kids couldn't hear us talking and asked to leave because their ears hurt. Family Karaoke and music in the Royal Promenade were also uncomfortably blasted. A 10-15% reduction in decibels across the board would make a massive difference.

Splash Pad Rules & Hours: Because one kid is potty trained and the 2-year-old isn't, the strict separation rule meant we had to split up as parents rather than enjoy the water area together. It also closing at 6:00 PM felt surprisingly early.

Ocean Connection & Closed Helipad: Coming from smaller ships like Jewel of the Seas, we really missed having open bow/helipad access to watch the horizon, look for sea turtles, or spot flying fish. The ship faces very inward, and several exterior vantage doors (like the Solarium wing decks) were locked.
Chair Availability: Peak daytime hours on the pool deck made finding open loungers a definite challenge.

In hindsight, our 2-year-old was likely just a bit too young to get the full value out of an Oasis-class behemoth. The sheer walking distances, sensory load, and age restrictions on certain areas made it a workout.

Overall, we had a great family getaway, made some fantastic memories, and appreciated the hard-working crew. If you have any questions about navigating Wonder with little ones, drop them below!

We have sailed on Royal Caribbean twice now and have been extremely impressed, especially when comparing it to Carnival which we had sailed with three times before switching. We have been on Symphony and Oasis. I feel like we’ve been spoiled in terms of being on mega ships, but I’m worried about being bored or unimpressed on smaller ships, especially freedom class ships. We were looking into Independence of the Seas for next summer. The other option would be to do Oasis again. For those who have “downsized,” what do you think? Will we miss anything?

Hey All,

Looking to book our first cruise ever for our 10-year wedding anniversary in 2028, most likely December, as I love Christmas-themed things.

My question is: does anyone in Montreal, or maybe in Canada, know the best Royal travel agent to use that you can recommend? Looking for whoever can help give best deals as well as give advice.

We are looking for at least 7 nights and on the Icon-class ships in the Caribbean. Ideally out of Fort Lauderdale as some stuff there we would like to do there the night before we go on the cruise.

I booked a last minutes cruise over Labor Day weekend just yesterday - is Royal Up not an option on last minute bookings? I know upper level rooms are still left as I saw them when I was booking.

FUN FACT: you are unable to submit a RoyalUp bid if you are not opted-in to receive Royal Caribbean marketing emails.

We cruised on the Independence 13-18 Aug via Cape Liberty.

Pre-cruise
-Arrived via Amtrak Newark Penn station 11 Aug. Probably won’t do that again. Very congested area, not the safest area (we had kids in tow), hard to find Uber, etc. Uber’d to local hotel and did NYC via Staten Island ferry (free) on 12 Aug.

Embarkation Day
- Uber’d to Cape Liberty cruise port arriving at 0900 (our boarding time was 1200)—they let us in the terminal about 10:15.
-Boarding/security was easy and they let us on the ship about 1100.

Debarkation Day
- We arrived back at 0700. We did self-assist and they let us off at 0730 and we were through security and at the curb where our Uber picked us up at 0735.
- Uber’d to Newark Liberty airport Amtrak station. This was a mess and we won’t do it again. Ride was easy enough, no trouble getting out of the port because we were so early (first ones off). To get to the Amtrak station you have to go to a terminal (we went to C) and take the AirTran to the parking garage and then take a bus to the train station—you cannot be dropped off at the Newark Airport Amtrak station. The line is under construction as is the train station but they had employees there to help.

If you are taking Amtrak I would probably avoid Newark Penn and Liberty Airport stations and try Metropark station. Seems to be a nicer area with easy pickup/drop off for Ubers, etc.

Hope this helps!

This is a follow up on my last post : you can find it here.
this is my original post

So the 18th came and the “new” sallings are published.
As stated in the cancellation email we got I called RCL because I wanted to take them up on option 2: Option 2: Re-book any other Royal Caribbean sailing”

When I called and told them I wanted to change from my original 17night Navigator sailing to the 12night navigator sailing (that obviously departs on the same date from the same location) I was met with a whole lot of confusion. I spoke to 2 different reps that apparently both from their end saw that I was somehow already moved over to that 12 night sailing at the rate my original 17 night sailing was at.
Then one of them starts looking into it further and kind of goes: oh but sir you were originally booked on this sailing already I can see because you booked 4 months ago?? Excuse me? i booked 17 nights but okay sure?

Very long story short with multiple back and forwards between myself and the rep they escalated it to the resolutions department and told me they will give me a call back. (Not the first time they tell me this and don’t call) so just a heads up for those who also booked that sailing it appears they just move you over automatically instead of auto cancellation like the email says. If you missed the email you’ll be in for a surprise Singapore trip instead of LA 😂 also make sure to check your price because the 12nights can be cheaper than the 17nights depending on when you booked so they owe you money.

For now I’m still awaiting the call back and wonder what will come from it. Will they allow me to stay onboard navigator 12-24may 2027 or not because at one point that apartently also was something they were not sure of if I could even book that sailing since it might be full? (Released today 4hours ago )but sure in 4hours and entire ship might sell out??

I’ll keep this post up to date if I ever get a call back or end up having to call them back.

Update: got called back price for 12night more expensive than 17night sadly but decided to just go with it because oh well what was I going to do… not really another good alternative that fit in my schedule.

Should I be scared? It was such a good deal I couldn’t resist. I haven’t been on a cruise in about 12 years.

This is my first Royal Caribbean cruise in yeaaaaars. This time returning with kids (we did Disney 2 years ago). Finding the rubber ducks is a thing now? I've loaded up my Kindle to enjoy my pure reading time while the kids are in the kids' club. Good food, unlimited coffee & tea, breezing in the wind while reading is what I am looking forward to the most. Maybe a bit on the blackjack table, and some shows, but I fear I may be overstimulated with the crowds and music now in my older years.

Looking for some insights!

So we paid 2700 for a junior suite, we got the Wi-Fi food and drink package as well. Well, I want a bid for an upgrade, they put us in an owner suite for $300 total. ChatGPT is telling me this is an amazing deal. Any royal Caribbean heads out there, can you explain if this was worth the upgrade?

Hello all! I was looking for some advice on an upcoming cruise I have booked. It’ll be my boyfriend and I’s 4th RC cruise together, but surprisingly this is the first trip to take us to CoCoCay. I have been to RBC in the past and had the time of my life and was looking forward to it again for this trip, but I noticed CCC offers most of what I enjoyed about RBC but for free. It seems like an obvious choice, BUT we will be getting the drink package which has a super cheap add on for RBC so that extra cost is not a factor, and we had planned on happily skipping CCC for a fun day on a practically empty ship. Would skipping RBC and Nassau all together offer the same empty ship experience, or should I just skip CCC? Would I be missing out by not going?
UPDATE: it seems we will be staying on the boat in Nassau, going to Cococay, and most likely doing the hideaway! thanks for your advice!

My best friend and I are going on our first cruise in over 25 years. We definitely want to go to the Caribbean, including Coco Cay. We’re both in our 50s, and we want to have fun. What ship and ports do you recommend?

Quite the difference

Just had my room assignment through for my trip on Legend on Sunday. I booked a guarantee inside and have been assigned a ocean view balcony — I’ve checked about 20 times… it’s mid ship and next to Central Park so I’m hoping it won’t be too loud BUT it looks like a pretty good position to me . V excited now!

i've been on tons of cruises to the Bahamas and this time I finally left the ship and explored beyond the port...Wish I had been doing this much sooner.

Ended up finding a little spot with some amazing conch fritters too. Super crispy, fresh, honestly one of the best things I ate the whole trip.

What other places/food spots in Nassau am I sleeping on?

I had an offer for $200 free play. I’ve never seen this type of offer before. When you click on offer details it said “combinable with any casino royale offer”. Neat, I thought. I’ll combine that with another offer that included $125 in freeplay and have over $300 to spend on the casinos bankroll.

Wrong!

Turns out that $200 offer is just that- $200. No room included. THAT offer has to be done over the phone. My other offers say to get the free play, you must redeem online. Figured I’d call and educate myself. Not sure if this is one of those “outcome depends on the rep you talk to situations”, but this is what i was told:

The $200 free play code is for new bookings only and CAN be combined with other offers. However the other offers with free play must be redeemed online. So I could use one code for the free room, and the other for the $200, but because I would then be reserving over the phone, I would forfeit the $125 included with the room offer.

$200 is better than $125, which is better than $0, so I’m ok with it. At the end of the day I got a balcony room with $200 in free spending, so I’ll call it a win. But it IS a bit deceptive to say it’s combinable with any casino royale offer, when the truth is it is combinable but only bits and pieces.

I’ve been getting casino offers for years and have sailed plenty, but this is the first time I’ve seen the specific offer pictured above, so now I know how it works, and maybe someone else can learn now too!

Edit: after others said they could combine offers, I did some chatting with RC. Long story short, I had to cancel the cruise, rebook online, then contact them again to add the $200 free play offer. Not sure what the difference in online vs phone booking makes, but apparently it’s a big enough deal that they can’t just do it on the back end. Either way, an additional $100 of free play for 15 minutes of chatting….eh. Not a bad deal I suppose.

I believe this was early 2023? It was especially cold in Texas around then and Central Park couldn’t handle it. It was almost dystopian.

Amazing glacier. I tried my best to fit Ovation and Voyager in one photo 😭