6 Things I'll do differently on Royal Caribbean in 2024 

At 68 I tried RC’s rock wall 3x, I plan on doing it again on my fall cruise this year at 70. Go me!

To me, the drink packages are too expensive, especially when funding for the family. However, on our Wonder cruise just two weeks ago, the bars were selling 10-drink cards for $90. My son, daughter, and I each bought one. That's a $5 discount per drink, and the cards can be shared. That's a great deal for people who don't drink a lot.

Night swims are the best! Seriously, I think I spend more time in the pools and hot tubs at night lol... Less people, no sunburn, usually a movie/music/lightshow off some kind going on. One of my favorite things to do before bed!

For 2024, my resolution is to take a non-charter Royal cruise. The one a chose is a huge one - 19 days from Honolulu to Sydney on Ovation in October. I'm hoping for the best.🙏

I'm right there with you on the drinks and dining packages...the deluxe drink package is good if you AREN'T diamond status. But once you hit diamond or higher, your free drinks makes the deluxe drink package less worthwhile. Still might do the refreshment package to get coffee, soda, bottled water and the like though... Dining package is a no-go for me - I'm not the most adventurous eater and I don't eat seafood. So I find better value in picking a couple lunches and booking those for $20-30 and using the MDR, Windjammer, Park Cafe, and Sorrentos for other meals/snacks.

Our strategy has always been to book cruises early. If the price decreases, RCI will honor the decreased price. Also, when we hit Diamond status, we quit buying the drink package. We rarely exceed our 4 drinks per day anymore, but if we do it is still much less expensive. We also take advantage of many of the other perks offered. The UDP is costly and simply too much of a good thing. If we decide to purchase a dining package, we typically buy Chops + 1. This July we are taking our 4 grandchildren on a 5-night cruise. We plan to take advantage of many of the free amenities geared towards families. We are booking only one excursion. The cost for 6 people is almost $700. I think the grandkids will be content staying on the ship during our second port day. The pool will be less congested, the slides and Flowrider more accessible.

Night swims are great! Definitely a good way to spend an evening on a cruise.

My family and went on our first cruise last summer. We had a blast, and one of the best times of the day was the night swim and movie. So relaxing.

I think it makes sense to cut back on the extras if you are cruising 11 times a year (unless you are wealthy), but most of us don't cruise that often (I have only cruised 10 times in my life, mostly on RCCL). Since I don't cruise that often, I have no problem adding the drink package and dining package. They enhance our experience and I'm not willing to pass on these to save a few bucks. YMMV.

Bingo...by booking ICON back on the day the bookings were announced in Oct. last year, we have saved more than $5k! Book early is our rule!

I have watched many of your videos and have recommended them to many people. Thanks for the honest and insightful info. We cruise Feb 18th

That first tip is key. I’m saving to book on the icon for a big celebration in 2026 while doing smaller cruises in between! Thanks for this 🎉

Love 1st tip. We just reserved a RC Cruise for April 2025 and expect to save at least 50% from booking it 90 days out. In fact, the cruise we're taking this April is now about 63% higher today than when we booked it last year. We use Cruisebound, which allows a free 7-day hold, and they promptly provide refunds when the price drops. Trains are smart with no daily parking fee - we take MARC or Amtrak from DC to Baltimore + short UBER to Baltimore Port Terminal. Trains mean no daily parking charges. Agree about Dining Package - we may eat at one specialty restaurant for our upcoming cruise. Thank you Matt for recognizing that some cruisers have to economize. LOVE THIS VIDEO!

Went on a 4 night RC cruise was curious if the drink package was worth it for me and my wife. We both got it and it was worth it. I looked at the statement to see how many drinks we charged and it was 93 total 😂😂😂

Love the night swim idea and the rock wall idea! We have a cruise coming up in March and our son would love if we did these activities as a family. And although the pricing has gone up for the drink packages and specialty dining, we don't partake in the spa, so these two splurges we will be keeping.

I like your drink idea but I wouldn’t recommend for a lot of people. My girlfriend and I compared per drink pricing with a package and discovered that we could save around 500 dollars by going with per drink pricing. That includes getting coffee, morning smoothies, and cocktails along with other drinks throughout the cruise. If you’re considering the package I’d do the math and see what works for you.

Lots of great info. Thank you!

We try and book 18 months out. If we know where we want to go and it is available that long out, we book. Our travel agent says all the time, “good thing you booked this early because the price has increased”.

Like your ideas on booking early and casino deals as a drink package option. I can't speak for RC but if you get their attention, NCL will give you at least a 20% discount on the cabin along with the drinks (but only in the casino). If things go real bad for you, you might get a free inside room. All-in-all, and if you're mindful of your gambling, it's pretty close to the same price but with some added fun. Good luck to you for a super fun 2024.

The thing also, especially in your case, is that the amount of drinks needed to "break even" is up. It's always been estimated that you need 6-7 cocktails a day to break even, and as a Pinnacle member you already get 6 free drinks. At that point it's really like you need at least 12 a day to break even.

My husband and I always get the refreshments packages, then use our onboard spending on cocktails. We bring our allowed bottles as wrll, to help save some.

Thank you for the idea of a night swim. Our family too talk about it but for the same mentioned reasons never do it. I think it’s time to jump in to the pool after dinner instead of bed!

On my upcoming RCL cruise in May, I am actually going to spend more time on ship, during a port visit. It will give me and my Gf, a chance to enjoy the amenities on board, and not have to wrestle for spots, such as the hot tubs or pool decks. Thisis a great topic. Me and my partner, always talk about things yo do different, to enjoy the cruising experience, after each one.

Great ideas!

Tip #2 is one that I always offer up! I turned diamond about 6 months ago and have been prime in the casino for the last 2 years. Since becoming Prime, I have not brought a drink package 🎉😅! I'm also not an all day drinker but have gotten some other good tips to stretch out the Prime benefits. If you like a particular alcohol, order shots neat and dump them into a Yetti type cup. Order cans of sodas with them as well (I'll usually get 2 at a time). This can easily yield 6 drinks. Also, order a few bottles of beer and ask for them unopened. This can easily get you through the day until the casino bar opens. Also order bottles of waters from the bar. They come in handy for port day. Now that I have diamond vouchers, they carry me the whole day. It's definitely doable Matt!

Have recently gotten into solo cruising, Booked a cruise in Oct 2025, going to try a suite for the first time. Booking nearly 2 years ahead of time allows me to parse out the payments of the trip making it easier to afford the more lavish stateroom. I usually buy the refreshment package as a sober individual, once I hit diamond later this year I'll be ditching that as well. I've never done the UDP, it just never seemed like a good enough deal to even both with. I've always enjoyed the MDR, even with the changes to the menu. The only tips I have for eating is to book a specialty restaurant on embarkation day for lunch. It is a much more chill way to start the cruise. Then for dinner on the final night I get another one. Sort of bookend my cruise experience with fine dining.

I booked May 31, 23 after I got off Anthems of the Sea May 1, 23 for Symphony of the Sea May 16, 24, and thanks for the night swim reminder. I haven't done it in years👏🏽👍🏽 I'm still trying to book for 2025 for Hawaii not sure what cruise line Royal Caribbean reposition to itineraries that I don't care to visit. I guess it might be NCL unless I can come up with the funds for Winstar or another upscale Cruise Line. Happy cruising💃🏽

Honestly I never did see the value of any of the drink packages, including the soft drinks. On a 7 day cruise I might have 4 or 5 acholic drinks so off the top that was a nonstarter for me. Even before I gave up processed sugar I still might only of gotten a couple of shakes and the one time I did get the soft drink package I found myself ordering a pop just because I had the package & not because I really wanted a pop. As far as the dining packages go I'll determine that on a ship by ship basis. My next cruise in September is on an older ship with fewer options so on that one I'll just save my money. However if I book a cruise on one of the newer ships I'll rethink it.

Taking the train tomorrow 1/20 just like you , Orlando to Miami for our 6 day Western Caribbean. First time using a none NY train 😂 we are excited and hope it works well because I HATE the drive there

Love the bright line

You are the best cruise blogger! Just got off allure on our 4th cruise with the kids. Utopia in August is next. Definitely have to start booking far ahead. Can't find any cheap cruises.

I loved the Brightline too. We flew in to Ft. Lauderdale because the flights were so much cheaper. We took a ride share over to the Brightline station and hopped on. 35 minutes later, we were in Miami. No fuss and so easy.

Great list!

Hi Matt. I rarely see videos of Mexican Riviera Royal Caribbean cruises. We are taking our first cruise this October to the M-Riviera aboard Navigator of the Seas, and would like to see the do’s and dont’s. Thanks! BTW, you are the reason we booked Royal!

I’m doing the Mediterranean next year! Spain, France and Italy.. in the spring 😊

i remember when i went on symphony back in 2022, my friend and i would go to the hot tub in the solarium at, like, nine or ten and just talk and/or watch anime. after we were done, we would put on our cover-ups and head to sorrento's for a late-night snack. maybe you could see if your kids are interested in something like that? late-night pool/hot tub and pizza!

Hi from the Space Coast. I will be cruising on the Icon of the Seas January 27th - February 3rd. I would love to take the Brightline train down to Miami, but it does not have a stop in my area, so I would have to drive to Orlando. The frustrating part is when Brightline leaves to head down to Miami, it goes through my neighborhood just before it goes over I-95 and makes the turn to go south on US1. Love your videos :)

I'm heading out in a couple of hours to fly to my next cruise, TOMORROW! XD Super excited

We did book the unlimited dining package for our upcoming Icon trip as well as the Empire Supper Club to try the new venues. But we agree with you on generally not buying it for our shorter weekend cruises where the buffet and MDR are very good (completely agree with you on the French Onion Soup - one of my favorites). However, we do have friends we travel with who have very strict dietary considerations (severe allergic restrictions) and we've found that the specialty dining culinary teams are a little better prepared to help prepare a special meal for them. If they are joining us on a trip - we would get the package so we can all eat together.

Hey Matt, I also want to do the rock wall but also the Flow rider. My other change is to take a NAP. I couldn't believe how exhausted I got on Oasis last year!

Please make a or some detailed videos of your gambling experiences onboard. Be very interesting to see your thoughts on it compared to what I've heard from others.

I've got my next 4 cruises into 2026 already booked. ✌

So glad you made a plug for the train versus driving. Driving looks cheaper at first glance, but people are only looking at the cost of the gas. Adding in your car payment, insurance, upkeep, the real cost to drive, per mile, is much higher. I often get the Soda package and coffee cards. Used to get the Soda internet package for my friends, but no longer offered. I also buy the Refreshment package, especially on the larger ships. Have gotten it on sale the last three Black Friday sales. Even at $23.99 it’s still a good deal when you add up what it covers. I’m looking forward to Diamond this year and the option of a few free drinks a day.

💙💙💙Wish I was there right now 😊

I just had my 1st cruise experience...Christmas...Royal...I did not care for the main dining food, but I did enjoy the French onion soup in the main dining room...interesting you showed that dish...

With the only cruise I'm going on being Icon, my wife and I plan to try and do some stuff after dinner. Almost every night after dinner we would maybe take a short walk around and then return to our cabin and call it a night. Maybe one night per cruise we would have something like our couples massage, or sit in a hot tub. But this year we're planning on going to the Jazz Club, or the Dueling Pianos. Something to try and break our shell. Also helps this'll be our first cruise as Diamond members and will have the drink vouchers to use. Though neither of drinks alcohol, so it'll be a little more challenging then most other people.

We agree with you on the drink package - Being Diamond and Prime, we don't buy the drink package anymore. Our 4 drink vouchers plus the free drinks at the casino bar is more than we can typically drink in a day. Even Capuchin and Espresso in the Crown suite are complimentary. And - if we do want a 5th beverage on a day, it's just that one time Ala carte fee.

My to do this year is stop being afraid to travel especially cruising, I listen to all the bad things that's happening and just don't want to do or go anywhere not even out to a movie. So in 2024 we've planned a cruise with the family, my husband asked me to stop listening to all the horrible cruise news channels 😑 because I almost wanted to cancel our cruise this is a big number 1 for me, I still have things to work on but I'm hopeful ☺️

This is great

I think makes sense to try out more of the adventure moments on the ship I however can not sail on any big/oasis class ships without the UDP or ULD, smaller ships sure

Hi can you share more of your favorite destinations and places you visit? And things to do at those destinations thank you!

I love the shout out for the train. We should have more trains.

I have 4 cruises on the books with 3 being the newest RCL ships. I reserve the first "moment" they become available to book. However, I do not book the first several cruises so the kinks can be worked out, or if the ship begins sailing in the summer, I wait several months as I don't cruise in the summer, unless it is Alaska. (Well, I would love to do another Med cruise someday, in the summer)

Combining Diamond/Diamond Plus/Pinnacle drinks with prime (or higher) status in the casino is truly a game changer. I have never paid for a drink package because of this, and while it can be slightly inconvenient, you will save tens of thousands of dollars if you sail frequently. It’s especially beneficial on sailings with a high number of sea days due to the casino being open pretty much all the time.

Great ideas, thanks. What am I going to do differently? I'm going take your advice and try to find a good Travel Agent.

Braggers.. *Sigh* alright for some to do multiple cruises per year.. I love cruising too but im lucky to get 1 in per year

My wife and I cruised on Serenade of the Seas for 14 nights in November 2023, Panama Canal cruise. During that cruise, I was able to gamble enough to reach Prime status. This is beneficial to me because I like to indulge a little while on the cruise ship. After all, I'm not driving and my wife does not drink. I usually pay per drink when I want on the cruise as a result. We are booked for Oasis of the Seas on April 2014. I am looking forward to not needing to pay per drink this time. By the way, this booking is our "free" cruise for being a Prime member. I say Free because we did have to pay for port fees, taxes, gratuities. I splurged a little and bought the Key this time around to try it out.

Did the bright light once because the plane ticket to West Palm Beach was cheaper than the plane ticket to Miami. I don’t think it saved a ton of money, but the bright line train was great!

We stopped taking the drink package when we became eligible for the 4 free drinks per day. It's just not worth the extra expense.

I always booked when I thought of it. The fares won't go up once you've paid the deposit. If the fare goes down you simply have your Travel Advisor ask for adjustment. BTW, I have 3 on the books Wonder of the Seas in April and December of 2024 ad Icon of the Seas in September of 2025. As far as specialty dining, I will take advantage of the D+ BOGO specialty deal and book my favorite Giovanni's and another as I am a solo cruiser.

I don't know what train services are like in the US but here in the UK, if I'm travelling out of my home county I nearly always take the train. It's so much easier, more relaxing, no parking problems, I don't have to worry about getting lost or other drivers! Closer to home, I will still drive though.

We convert Points from our RCL CC to onboard credit to cover drinks instead of buying the package...

We used Next Cruise in March 2023 to book a family cruise for December 2024 (2 staterooms, 5 adults). Still 9 months away and the current price is nearly $5k greater than what we booked 18 months in advance!

I switched from rc to Azamara..drinks are included so you never have to pay extra for a drinks package again

My husband and I are Diamond and I am Prime in the casino. We have more free drinks than we could ever consume. I rarely have more than one drink a day, and sometimes none. I've never bought a drink package because we don't drink enough to make it worthwhile.

There are some many awesome places to see and many ways to vacation. Us regular people that don’t cruise as much as you or not as high in the loyalty status as you probably won’t give up the drink package, lol.

If you ever try NCL I recommend the Bliss

I've been booking out since the re start. I'm booked now into 2025 Shhhhh. Don't need everyone else doing this!

Since I am Diamond and Prime in the casino I only get the refreshment package so that covers coffee/non alcoholic drinks and waters and then utilize my vouchers and prime in the casino for any alcoholic drinks.

Fantastic video. I agree with the notion that drink packages and the dining package just aren't compelling at these current prices. It'd be good if RC offered an alcoholic drink package that was not unlimited. And the way that the description of the dining package on the RC website is written does not seem enticing. It's as if RC is nonchalantly throwing it out there, take it or leave it. Doesn't do a good enough job answering questions.

I've been on two Royal Caribbean cruises. I learned something very valuable that I don't intend to repeat. NO MORE GIGANTIC SHIPS. I loved the Majesty of the Seas, one of their "small" ships that fit me perfectly until they sold it off. I was also aboard the Liberty of the Seas and won't do it again--on a ship that size or bigger. Something that I also learned is that the food in the buffet and the MDRs is average. Their chocolate desserts need to upgrade flavor-wise.

We make drinks a fun little game for our family of 5- 2 adults and 3 college kids. We do about 4 cruises per year. We keep an eye out through the year on what are the best drink package prices for deluxe and refreshment. We subtract one dollar and that becomes the daily drink money allowance for each person. It does take a tiny bit of math, but we find that we actually don't hit that number except maybe once for one or two of us. This does require booking cruises early, we do about 2 years out. Also, all of us mostly prefer plain coffee tea and water. As for dining, we love what's already included in the fare. Definitely do the rock climbing wall!! Just be ready to sit back and go down faster than desired. I don't like the lack of control on the descent, but it's the price I pay for really nice views.

We look forward to trying the Brightline train in 3 weeks for our trip on Icon. I'm not sure it's a better deal though as costs are about the same for 2 people and much more for 4 ($140 R/T for each person for coach plus luggage fees). in the last week or so there were two deadly accidents in Melbourne when cars were on the tracks so, just like the turnpike or 95 - there's no guarantee of clear sailing from Orlando to Miami or Lauderdale. We'll post our experience after our trip. I really hope it's a great experience. I would prefer not to make that drive.

Love your voice

For me, the dbp has to be less than about $65/day for me to feel it's worthwhile. I did just make Diamond on my last cruise, so on my upcoming 4/3 back to back, I'm forgoing the deluxe given the increased costs for those cruises, I'll easily save even if I have to supplement the 4 diamond drinks.

I agree with dropping the dinning package, but the unlimited drink package allows those unlimited trips to the Vitality Spa after hard nights of drinking😃

Booked 28 day b2b cruise in a Suite in Oct 24 on Ovation to Australia. I am Diamond so the perks are ok for now

We have the icon in dec, that I booked when they opened , a balcony for $3145 for the 2 of us, probably half of what it is now. However looking at bright line for that cruise is running about $800 for the 2 of is, a bit high, ill probably go down but most Likely fly back. We also have something for 25 booked

Funny, I have the same challenge ahead of me this year. Multiple cruises already booked and I get my diamond drinks. Plus I already have prime. I’m going to see if it’s possible that I don’t need to buy the Deluxe drink package anymore. I do love that convenience though. But why do I feel stressed out not having booked it at the lowest price 😂

We love casino comps!! Free drinks and free cruises...SIGN US UP!! We are both Prime casino status, so free drinks. Plus, we will do 4 comped cruises this year (2 with suite upgrades) and we get so many offers for more free cruises, but we still work full time and can't squeeze in any more time off. 😢

Great suggestions. BTW...I think your time notations are off -- check where the train one starts.

We are doing a 12 day cruise in May. First time RC cruise and opted not to get the drink pkg since we are in port so many days it doesn’t make sense. I don’t have more than 3 drinks in a night ever, even on vacation, so we didn’t see the point. We did opt for the water and coffee pkgs though.

Brightline only works between Orlando and South Florida. They weren't smart enough to build a Port Canaveral terminal so it's not really an option from Orlando or MCO (Orlando Airport) out to Canaveral. The Brightline station is down at the Orlando airport so if you're taking the train from Orlando to South Florida, you have to park somewhere at the airport like you're flying out of town for a week. It's an option, but does have pitfalls.

Went on the Liberty of the Seas and was excited there was a casino. We walked through our first day to see what they had and got heartburn for the rest of the day. Getting casino credit isn't worth pain. We didn't even start normal casinos until after covid when the casinos near us had non-smoking sections. Maybe we will look into casinos if we book the ships with the non-smoking casinos. But any amount of free drinks aren't worth the pain for the rest of the day.

Solarium hot tub is perfect after 8 pm dinner. All the kids and older people are getting ready for bed and the people my age are clubbing. Then a casino trip once they finally kick you out the tub at like midnight. (Only for nights when your excursion isn’t early 😭)

Matt, great video, as always! Long time RCCL cruiser. Icon ultimate dining package yes or no??

The advantage Florida residents have for cruising is staggering. These are some fine money saving ideas, but the cost of the drink package or the dining package pale in comparison to the cost of flights these days. For the first time in more than a decade we didn't cruise this last Christmas - flights for the 4 of us from the Washington DC area would have been just shy of $4,000!. Add in two hotel rooms the night before and travel back and forth was coming close to the cost of the cruise! Booked a May cruise last November so airfares are down, but we just learned that something called "Beatstock" will be happening on our cruise? (Symphony out of Ft. Lauderdale in mid-may). Hope whatever this is doesn't ruin it for others on board.

The NCL included drink package that cost around $20 a day (gratuity) is the only package I would get. We could only drink 6 to 7 drinks 🍹 a day max, good value on NCL. 😅

We like to end all of our cruises with a Night Swim - more specifically in the hot tub - it is so peaceful and almost never is there other people there. It's the perfect way to end a cruise for us.

Going on 1st cruise ever Anthem of the seas to see Europe this summer 😊

@3:45 We're taking Amtrak from San Antonio to Vancouver for our Alaska cruises in May.

Thanks Matt!! 2 questions, I still have my WOW Band from Oasis last April, If I bring it on Harmony in May, can they recode it or do I need to buy a new one? And, Harmony, May 12-19, any chance seeing you on it???

Big issue with dining in the main dining room is the second seating is just too late. Wish they could push that an hour earlier, but space is limited when you keep cramming more and more people onboard. I notice now when I book, the early seating fills FAST! I will cancel now if I cannot get the early seating, and when I have spoken to customer service, they say that is getting more and more common.

I'm going on symphony this march, I signed my self up for a sushi making class.

More B2B cruises! No more unlimited dining packages as it is too much food anyways. Look for more excursions not thru the cruise line to get some variety. Being a older solo traveler, I feel safer with the RC excursions but have found many cities are great on my own.

I had to choose between an engagement ring, or a drink package. I chose the drink package thankfully, because she broke my heart on said cruise. But hey, at least I had the drink package to help deal with it.

I am also trying no drink package on my next cruise as I reached prime tier on my last cruise. I'll be interested to see if it was the right call. Also as a prime member, the complimentary state room offers I get are nice as well, so you could see other savings on that. I don't drink a ton of alcohol during the day so I think this will be beneficial for me personally. When I ran the cost for my upcoming 5 night cruise the best price on sale was $431 per person in our group for the drink package, and cruiser #2, my mom definitely will not reach $431 in drinks, especially since we are in Bermuda for 2 days. So it will come down to see if my mom, my sister and myself, together drink more than the $1293 it would have cost, even though my drinks are comped in the casino, I doubt it. I do get the water package delivered to the room, 12 liter bottles and found that offsets a lot of the water I would normally purchase. Also I totally agree on specialty dining, I only reserve the restaurants I want in advance and it saved me quite a bit as I feel the food is very good for the included options. Have fun and would be interested to see how these changes pan out for you.

Does brightside have bathrooms, any food ect or is it like the metro?

what ports does the train from orlando go to? I live just north of orlando and hate drive

I LOVE THAT AMERICA IS FINALLY CATCHING UP ON TRAINS!!!!