10 Things to Do Before Your Next Royal Caribbean Cruise

Setting sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise soon? Whether it's your first cruise or your 100th, the following are ten tips for things to do before your next Royal Caribbean cruise. 

Royal Caribbean is the perfect cruise line option for travelers of all ages and interests. Its vessels are among the biggest in the industry, with several of its ships holding the titles of world’s largest. To get the most out of your Royal Caribbean cruise, we recommend spending time before your vacation to plan time onboard the ship and while in port to ensure you get the most out of your experience. 

Over the past ten years of Cruiseline.com, we’ve received thousands of Royal Caribbean reviews from our members and learned a lot along the way. Here are ten things we recommend you do before your next Royal Caribbean cruise. 

1. Research The Ship

Studying and learning about what’s on your ship is one of the top tips we recommend to any cruiser. This is especially true when considering the size and numerous activities on Royal Caribbean’s ships. Use ship deck maps to locate your cabin, dining venues, and the onboard amenities you want to see. 

An excellent resource for ship research is Cruiseline.com’s ship reviews. In these reviews, you will find feedback from fellow cruisers who have previously sailed on that same Royal Caribbean ship and can provide recommendations that you can use to plan your trip. You can learn more about your ship’s dining venues, activities, and all the spots/activities you want to check out.

Explore Royal Caribbean ship reviews here and select ‘Royal Caribbean’ from the cruise reviews dropdown menu. Select the ship you will sail on, then explore all the helpful tips from fellow community members. 

2. Download Shipmate

Shipmate, the #1 cruise app for cruisers, has all the tools you need to plan your dream Royal Caribbean cruise. One of the top features you can use as an upcoming cruiser is adding 

your exact voyage to the ‘My Cruises’ section to plan your cruise and save it forever in the app’s cruise history.

Once you’ve added the sailing, you can check out and share your Cruise Countdown, sign up for a Roll Call (we will explain later!), make a packing list, use our tools to explore your ship and ports of call, as well see photos from fellow cruisers. Other features of Shipmate are the ability to book shore excursions, find deals on future cruises, and read or write your cruise review. 

If you haven’t downloaded Shipmate, do it now! Download for iOS here or for Android here. 

3. Figure Out What to Pack

Before you pack your swimsuit, dinner outfits, and cabin door decorations, the number one item on your packing list should be essential documents. Pack these first, and double check that you have them before leaving home. You could miss out on your trip and be denied boarding should you forget to have the required documents, such as passports, birth certificates, or other paperwork at embarkation. Note - Be sure all documents and passports are in your carry on luggage if you are flying. Never put essential documents in your checked baggage, just in case they are lost in transit.

Next, pack essentials like medications, sunscreen, swimsuits, rain protection, chargers, and a non-surge powerstrip. Most Royal Caribbean ships will have a spot onboard which will sell personal goods, however, prices at these stores are generally expensive so we recommend being prepared. 

When it comes to packing clothing make sure you have what you will need for the duration of your cruise and the type of climate you will be in. Royal Caribbean states the following when it comes to onboard attire, “Dressing on board is pretty much come-as-you-are—you’re on vacation after all. For dinner, you can go casual (think jeans, T-shirts and sundresses), smart casual (a step up from casual, like collared shirts, blazers, dresses and blouses) or even formal (bust out the black tie!). We recommend keeping the swimwear, shorts, flip-flops and baseball caps for other parts of your day.”

Note, some onboard activities on Royal Caribbean ships require certain types of clothing. For ships with ice skating rinks, long pants are required to be worn on the rink (even if you are cruising through the Caribbean!). The cruise line also recommends having socks and covered shoes for activities like onboard rock climbing or ziplining. Read more suggested packing tips from Royal Caribbean here. 

Looking for more tips on what to pack for your vacation? Consult these resources:

• What to Pack For Your Caribbean Cruise
• Top 12 Packing Must-Haves for Your First Cruise
• 8 Handy Items Most Cruisers Don't Pack
• What should I pack for a Mediterranean cruise?
• 10 Things to Pack for Your First Alaska Cruise

4. Learn About Cruise Ports & Sign-Up for Shore Excursions

More pre-cruise homework for you - it’s for your own good! We recommend you spend time before your Royal Caribbean cruise to explore the ports you will visit and plan out what you want to do for those days. 

A great resource for destination research is Cruiseline.com’s cruise port explore feature. Here you can read reviews from fellow sailors on the destination, see photos, and read expert advice on the port. You can also find and book excursions (at great prices!) from our trusted partners. 

Port research tools are also found on Shipmate. The app allows members to read and write port reviews, features a member photo section, excursion booking tools, and the ability to chat about the destination with other users and ask questions to learn more. 

If you are lucky enough to be traveling to Royal Caribbean’s own private destinations Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee, check out our resources for these destinations:

Private Island + Waterpark = A Perfect Day

7 Best Things to Do in Labadee, Haiti  

New Adults-Only Space Coming to Perfect Day at CocoCay 

Guide to Cruise Line Private Islands

5. Plan Your Dining Schedule

As you do pre-cruise research on the ship, don’t forget to check out the dining options. Most Royal Caribbean ships offer a number of included and specialty eateries. We recommend going into your cruise with an idea of what eateries you want to check out, and budget accordingly if you plan to spend extra to dine in certain venues. 

Royal Caribbean allows guests to make reservations before the cruise at specialty venues. Take advantage of this if you know you want to eat at a certain venue, that way you know you will have a guaranteed spot at the restaurant and can get a table at a desired time. 

We also recommend our Royal Caribbean ship pages to research the dining venues of your specific ship. You can read the reviews and recommendations from fellow travelers who previously tried the eateries, and get a good idea of all the delicious food and beverages you will want to try on your own vacation.  

6. Join a Roll Call

Our Roll Calls act like forums where passengers sailing on the same cruise can chat with one another. They are a great place to ask questions, share ship tips, or meet with others on your voyage. 

Want to organize a meet-up at the comedy club or a zipline excursion? Just sign up for the Roll Call of your Royal Caribbean cruise sail date, make a post, and get to know your fellow sailors!

Read More: What is a Roll Call

7. Download the Royal Caribbean App 

Before you set sail, download the Royal Caribbean App, the official cruise line app developed for guests by the cruise line. Download this before you get onboard to start planning your sailing and have it ready to use during your cruise. 

Use the Royal Caribbean App before your cruise to check out deck maps, make dinner reservations, review health protocols, and complete your online check-in before embarkation. 

While onboard the ship, use the app to chat with fellow cruisers, reserve and browse onboard activities requiring reservations, and check your account statement. This app will also be where you will complete your guest safety check (aka muster drill) before embarkation. 

Read more on the Royal Caribbean app here. 

8. Explore and Book Beverage Packages 

Royal Caribbean offers several beverage packages at an extra cost. If you plan on enjoying any drinks besides (non-bottled) water, these will come with a fee. 

Research the beverage package options before you sail to take advantage of any pre-cruise savings. You can also know what drinks will cost during the cruise should you choose not to purchase a full package. 

Royal Caribbean offers three beverage packages - the Classic Soda Package, the Refreshment Package, and the Deluxe Beverage Package. The Classic Soda option includes only unlimited fountain soda and Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages. The Refreshment Package includes all sodas, mocktails, premium coffees, teas, and fresh-squeezed juices—the Deluxe Beverage Package includes all the above with unlimited alcoholic beverages and 40% off select bottled wines. 

In addition, Royal Caribbean offers other add-on drink options for specialty coffees, Evian bottled waters, as well as drinks/high-speed internet package combos for extra savings. 

Beverage packages are for single use and cannot be used for multiple guests. Age restrictions apply for the Deluxe Beverage Package. 

Learn more about Royal Caribbean’s beverage package offerings, costs, and exclusions here. 

9. Explore Onboard Activities & Entertainment 

Use the Royal Caribbean App or the cruise line’s website section for booked guests to explore more on the activities and entertainment on your ship. There likely will be offerings that you can pre-book ahead of the cruise so you know you will get a spot during your time on the ship. 

Most Royal Caribbean cruise activities are free and open to all, however, there are some that require an extra cost. We recommend exploring what will be offered on your cruise before you leave so you have a good idea of what you will want to check out when onboard and know if you will have to spend more for this activity. 

We also recommend using Cruiseline.com’s Ship Reviews to read fellow community members’ feedback about the activities and entertainment options on your Royal Caribbean ship.  

10. Ask Questions & Get Answers!

Cruiseline.com and Shipmate are great resources to use to ask your most pressing Royal Caribbean questions with our new Q&A features. 

Our community of thousands of seasoned sailors can make recommendations on what to do (and what not to do) on your Royal Caribbean ship. When you submit any ship or port-related questions, our community is there with the answers.

Here are some resources on the Q&A features offered by Cruiseline.com and Shipmate:
Got Cruise Questions? Try the Ship and Destination Q&A Feature

New Q&A Feature Comes to Shipmate

Port Q&A Comes to Shipmate

Wishing You Smooth Seas Ahead! 

We hope you have a great Royal Caribbean cruise and have found these tips helpful! If you are looking for even MORE resources on Royal Caribbean International check out:

Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean: Smackdown!

Quiz: How much do you know about Royal Caribbean?  

Top Royal Caribbean Ships for 2023 

Royal Caribbean Awarded Best Cruise Line 

Don’t forget to come back and write a review of your Royal Caribbean cruise when you return and share your experience with other community members! 

Ready to plan your next Royal Caribbean cruise? Explore the top 10 deals or the top 10 balcony cruise deals for Royal Caribbean.