Don’t forget your heavy duty magnetic hooks! 😂😂

I prefer to book my own cruise. Everything else I agree with you on.

At 4:36, I see myself and my wife in the background in the pub. I cant believe it. Too bad I didn't see you. Thanks for the videos.

I joined a Facebook travel group that had a specific title for RC Wonder of the Seas and with my sail date. The people in the group were very helpful and shared great information for my cruise planning. The group was a life saver!

Hey Matt, been on 60 RC cruises since 2001. Only need 200 points to Pinnacle. Love Royal..tried other lines, but stayed Loyal to Royal. The crew really go above and beyond 😂😂

Tips for cruising with a baby: 1. Bring a travel crib. The cribs provided by RC are absolutely terrible. 2. Request to have infant/babies gratuities removed (as suggested by RC). 3. Bring noise blocking headphones for your baby. All the shows are way too loud. 4. Some strollers such as Uppababy Vista will not fit through the cabin door, so you’ll need to remove a rear wheel every time you go in/out.

I check in online as SOON as it allows me to BUT I like to get in the ship as LATE as possible. When I was a new cruiser I used to RUSH to get on the ship ONLY to be bored out of my mind waiting to get into my room which normally isn't ready until the afternoon. The first day is so crowded and chaotic that all I want to do is get on the ship, do my muster and go to my room. There's no rush to go to the bar or eat a hamburger or explore the ship. I have an entire week to do that. Plus, I am so tired after traveling. I travel solo so I normally have ZERO problems waiting to book dinner or shows after the crowd has died down.

that slice of pizza at the start made me want to fast forward 15 days to my next cruise

I was able to book all my dining reservations before even boarding the ship in the terminal last year it was great!!

Absolutely 100% agree on all points..

I try to board as late as possible because I want to go straight into the room.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Hey Matt. I'm going on Harmony in 3 days! Super excited cause I will be hitting Diamond + after 2 days on it! Super excited! As for a Tip. I'd say make sure to wear Sunscreen if you go outside to do anything. Every cruise, I've seen soo many people that have gotten such horrible sunburns on the 1st day. Another is get those gel pad insoles for your shoes. You will find yourself doing so much walking on it with all the activities and sights on the ship alone. They will help so much with all the walking you will do.

Book your next cruise while onboard! You get to pick your room and not pay for that, plus you will get some onboard stateroom credits along with a lower price.

I agree with all of these tips, except the TA. I prefer to manage it myself.

Thank You for all your information so helpful, since I booked my first cruise, I will be sailing July5th Symphony of the Seas out of cape liberty. I booked it last year in March. Since then I’ve been on your page. I can’t wait I’m so excited. Thanks again

1. Always purchase packages before cruises and be diligent about reading the RC emails for price drops. 2. When at port, find a good driver to take you to excursions and non mainstream restaurants/shops. A good driver knows the good places to go.

My top tip is LISTEN TO MATT😂

Make friends with a Royal employee and have them give you a friends and family discount code.. you get an additional 20% off after all other promos have been applied!!

If you are in a suite, the Suite Concierge will make specialty reservations for you prior to embarkation day.

I normally book 1-2 yrs in advance. Only ONE time did I book last minute and that when my baby sister died and I really needed to get away. The Gods must've been on my side bc I got an INCREDIBLE balcony deal. One week on MSC for $399

Great video ❤❤❤❤

Ready for Bahamas next month.

Tip: Contact your bank/ debit cards and credit cards and let them know you are traveling. That way, you dont get a fraud alert when you try to go shopping in port. ((good for RC and other travel, as well))

These work for all cruises, in some different aspects but still valid.. IMHO.

I would be interested in knowing what you consider smaller ships. My view is Radiance Class, Voyager Class and Freedom class are smaller and provide a lot of amenities that the huge ships provide but with fewer passengers. And I second the advice to join the C&A Society as it is the best frequent cruiser club of all of the lines. If you would like to get away from the crowds, on some ships (the ones I mentioned above), the heliport is open all day most days and it has 3 or 4 benches so you can enjoy some peace and quiet while you enjoy watching the sea go by. its a great place for entry and exit from ports.

We are almost opposite for some of the recommendations. We board at about 1pm so that we can go directly to our cabin and unpack (as we carry on our luggage). I get the concept of getting on, starting the "party" and exploring the ship- BUT- you STILL have your bag you carried on, so. On top of that, we notice that the first show on boarding day is generally light (even if it's a Broadway show) because people are unpacking. It's certainly not for everyone, but we also carry on for flights. So we pack super light. Also, we never use a TA anymore- we did for our first few cruises, but since we cruise in suites, the normal "special" people get group rates for- we don't get. And when I recently shopped around, we still have not found a TA that would be an advantage. BUT that's also because we have been on over 70 cruises, so we know what we like to do, and know how to rebook for price reductions. Is it perfect? No. But we are comfortable doing it. Other than that, we agree with the rest.

We have a Mediterranean cruse schedule for May and we have loved all your RV videos, tips, pros and cons. Its been a HUGE help to us. I am confused about a tip you stated in here regarding on line check in time. RC customer service told me that it is 45 days prior to boarding based on East coast time. You and others I have seen stated 45 days and the time was based on port of embarkation. Ours is Rome and we are in So Cal. Are you able to provide any added insight? Thanks for all you do and keep up the great work

so true about advance booking. i did my icon when it first opened. and it's half the price of what they are selling for now

2 days till Symphony 😮‍💨

Will you be going on Utopia before august and post a compass from that cruise

Great information, my wife and i will be taking our 1st cruise on May 13th- 17th on royal Caribbean allure of the seas leaving out of cape Canaveral, I'm excited but also a little nervous. We did get an Oceanview cabin with a balcony and i can't wait to see what it's like. I've heard nothing but good things about cruises and especially RC cruises. We're on the 7th floor of an 18 floor cruise ship. I hope i don't feel too much moving around lol.

Here's a interesting dilemma I've got. Taking Explorer in late October out of Piraeus, ending in Barcelona. Getting in to Athens on a Friday around noon, ship leaves on Sunday. So we've got about a day and a half to explore Athens. Here's the question - Does it make sense to spend Sunday morning taking in just a little bit more of Athens before heading over to the port?

Matt, I wanted to book the Teppanyaki at Izumi, but I found it is only offered on two ships in the fleet ( Odyssey and Spectrum OTS). I am going to write Royal and ask them to expand that option to more ships.

Do you have to pre-pay for your entire dinner when you make a dining reservation?

Hi, can you provide more details on booking dining before you board? We bought the 3 night specialty dining, but when I asked multiple agents, they all say you can only make reservations once onboard. Where can I find more info on booking before cruise day? Thanks!!

Getting on Voyager of the Seas next Wednesday March 28th!

So if my cruise is out of Seattle, then the boarding time window opens at Midnight Seattle time or 3am EST time?

I am now a Diamond no Royal Caribbean. I know I don't get priority embarkation until I'm a Diamond Plus, so I purchased the Key. I booked the cruise last minute and got a later check in time. The Key gives me priority embarkation. Does that mean I can board earlier than my embarkation time?

Curious…I’m booked for an airport to port transfer with Royal. Would I still need to book a check in time?

ive been many times and never used a travel agent

I don't see the need to use a travel agent unless it's to fly directly into a destination where you have NO idea of where to stay, what areas are good/bad, excursion planning, flight transfers. But for a cruise... I can book that myself online/directly through the cruiseline. I've used TA in the past for cruising and have seen NO difference in price OR perks have I done it myself and I hated the fact that I had NO control over my OWN booking. The only time I could see using a TA for a cruise if it's for a large group booking and I was getting a perk such as a free cabin stay from booking a certain amount of cabins. I used a TA for my bday once for a group of 10 and there were NO special perks OR pricing. Everything was the same had we booked it ourselves individually online. We had to hunt the TA down every time we needed to make a payment.

I’ve never received any benefits or discounts using travel agents and I’ve tried 6. If anything they have cost me money because they’re hard to contact in time to apply any price drops etc.

If you have a cruise booked that will occur after the next November (any year), look for savings for cruise add-ons like beverage packages, internet, excursions and dining in November. I saved a bunch the last two Novembers doing this. Cancel and rebook any extras that are lower at any time. Black Friday is the best it gets all year from my experience. - Are there other holidays or dates that offer the best discounts?

the couple from 2:30 xDDDDDD lol pure love!

you should get a shure sm7b to improve your mic quality. i think it’ll increase viewership

I'm going on Wonder on April 7th through 14th

Hi Matt. Great content as always. Question…does Royal Caribbean supply water for CPAP machines? Thanks.

19 days before Allure of the Seas

We have the 3 night dining package. Can we use it for specialty lunch or does it have to be dinner?

We booked "Utopia of the Seas" as soon as it was available and got a great deal!

How can I get my dining reservation at 5:30.

You nailed this!!!😂😂

@bryanjamescruises is that you at 4:33 ? Blogs on blogs!

Hi. I've searched the RC website FAQ's for this, but can't find an answer. We've booked and paid for a 7 night cruise on Harmony in May. My app says 0 C&A points (we've never cruised RC). At what point in time do we see points to use for benefits that require points? Since it is 1 point per night, will points begin accumulating after 3 nights, or do those points get distributed at once upon check-in? Thank you - love your videos!

Reddit royal Caribbean group, great tips and ideas😊

I have an upcoming cruise on icon of the seas in about a year. I have noticed that the beverage packages and dining packages are not available for purchase yet. In your experience, when do these normally become available?

Are there any vending machines at the port before checking in? Planning on buying sodas before getting on the boat 😅

Can't wait until next week... Jewel of the Seas b2b San Juan/Fort Lauderdale/Southampton Small ship... Great!

Cruised with Royal last year. The only thing that upset me was that if you had premium dining package you could NOT pre-book dinner reservations prior to embarkation. If you were paying for dinner reservations OUTSIDE of dining package you were free to book prior to embarkation. We were shut out of dining options when we got on board. It’s a clever business practice but I think it sucked quite frankly.

Where do you find the previous cruise compass?

Book early AND register with cruise price drop websites. Even after payment is due, if a price drops getting an on-board credit or other perk might be a possibility.

1. Any Royal Caribbean employee can supply you with a Friends and Family discount code which is 20% off the entire cruise price after promos have been applied (taxes fees and gratuities are not discounted) 2. Set expectations and boundaries with your fellow cruise group. 3. Apply the “it is what it is” approach. Royal will do everything they can to accommodate and make your experience as memorable as possible. In the event something goes wrong, don’t let it ruin your total experience spending hours in a customer service line. If the issue is severe enough, you see an officer walking through the promenade, pull them aside and make them aware of the issue and attempt to schedule a time to remedy the situation.

Travel Agent? Only a travel agent or a very old person would recommend one. Been on a dozen cruises and booked them all through apps or in person at Next Cruise. Pre-Internet travel agents would do things that an average person couldn't do, I see that but its 2024 and everything that you need is right at the tip of your thumbs on your smart phone.

UP NEXT

Top tip? 🤔..... Never, and I mean NEVER, slap Tony Diaz. 🤣

Great April fool’s prank: can anyone find me a old Compass for my cruise on Utopia 😝

The Royal app will tell you what events are planned for your particular cruise…

Years...That would be great. I need to book my 2029 cruise (45th Anniversary) but they refuse to let me.

I got in touch with a travel agent one time. A very popular one here on KZfaq. After they found out i wasnt getting a suite they pushed me off onto a smaller agency....TURNED OFF immediately! Will never use one again...

We went on Grandeur last Oct and never ever ever again on that size. Horrible!

Don't blindly book the first check-in time of the day. Find out when the ship is typically boarding, then book that time so that you skip the wait in the terminal before embarkation begins. For example, at Cape Liberty you can book (typically) as early as 10 am, but boarding doesn't begin until around 11 am usually. Passengers in the 10 am and 10:30 am slots get to sit and wait until the ship is ready while 11 am (typically) gets to head directly to the ship. Take a look at the deck plans before boarding to get an idea where everything is, possible routes between locations (can you get from A to B with X in between, where X can be an ice skating rink) and are there's any deck limitations with different elevator banks alongside what's accessible once off the elevator. The ship's entertainment and event schedule can change even after boarding. Plan ahead, but don't expect the schedule to be set in stone. There's a greater likelihood of the schedule mostly being finished by the end of the first day aboard.

Always bring a pair of closed toe shoes, a shirt that covers your shoulders, long pants, and a sturdy bathing suit so you can partake in all the onboard activities!

Years !!!!!! I do Europe or Mexico at 6 to nine months but years!!!!!! Nope life is not like that anymore

Had a very disappointing first cruise just two weeks ago on Freedom of the Seas. From rude employees embarking to less than good dining experiences. Won’t cruise with Royal again.

Not gonna say this is all false. But a lot of it is. “Royal Caribbean pros”… Idk what they mean by that. I’ve been cruising since I was born, been on around 50 cruises with RC, and by now we don’t check cruise compasses, we know the ports by heart, we know the ships, their amenities, and we know what to book without researching at all. We just pick a ship we like, a date we can work around, and an itinerary with ports we like. That’s it. Travel agents, research, cruise compasses, all that is not done by most people who actually travel lots.

Taking a cruise with Royal Caribbean in August for the first time…on Liberty of the Sea…should there be any concerns traveling on this ship ??

Oh no… the up next is gone