Royal Caribbean cruise guide
What to Consider Before Booking a Royal Caribbean Cruise
The best ship, itinerary and cabin depend on who’s traveling and what kind of vacation you actually want.
Quick answer: Start with your family’s ages, the destinations, time onboard, cabin needs and total budget. Newer ships offer more attractions, while smaller ships can be a better fit for a quieter vacation or a port-focused itinerary.
Royal Caribbean has more than 20 ships, cruises ranging from quick weekend getaways to longer itineraries around the world, and ships that can feel completely different from one another.
So when someone asks me, “What’s the best Royal Caribbean cruise?” my answer is always: it depends.
The newest ship isn’t automatically the best ship. The cheapest sailing isn’t necessarily the best value. And the cruise your neighbor loved may not be the right cruise for your family.
Here are the things I think actually matter when choosing a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Is Royal Caribbean a good cruise line for families?
Royal Caribbean is one of my favorite cruise lines for families, and I especially love it for families with older kids and teenagers.
Depending on the ship, you can have waterslides, surf simulators, rock climbing, ice skating, sports courts, shows, teen spaces and enough going on that everyone can do their own thing without someone constantly announcing that they’re bored.
It’s also great for multigenerational families and groups because there really is something for almost everyone.
On the flip side, if your idea of the perfect vacation is quiet, intimate and relaxing, Royal Caribbean probably wouldn’t be my first recommendation. These ships can be busy, active and LOUD. That’s part of the appeal, but it isn’t for everyone.
Does the Royal Caribbean ship really matter?
Yes, but how much it matters depends on your itinerary.
For Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda cruises, I pay a lot of attention to the ship. You’re spending a significant amount of your vacation onboard, so pools, entertainment, dining and activities can make a big difference.
For a port-heavy Mediterranean cruise or Alaska itinerary, I care less about having every possible bell and whistle. You may spend all day exploring, come back exhausted, eat dinner, see a show and go to bed.
That can be a great opportunity to save money by choosing an older or smaller ship.
Do you need to book the newest Royal Caribbean ship?
No!
I LOVE Royal Caribbean’s newer ships. If your kids have been watching videos of Icon Class and their entire reason for wanting to cruise is the waterpark, Surfside and all of those over-the-top amenities, then absolutely, the ship matters.
Just be prepared to pay for it.
For a first Royal Caribbean cruise, you don't necessarily need the latest and greatest. Freedom and Quantum Class ships can be a fantastic middle ground. You still get plenty of activities, entertainment and things to do without necessarily paying the premium that comes with the newest ships.
And older doesn't automatically mean worse.
Some people actually prefer Royal Caribbean's older, smaller ships because they're easier to navigate and can feel less hectic and more intimate. It's about finding the ship that fits the vacation you want.
What should families with babies know about Royal Caribbean ships?
This is one people don't always think about until after they've booked.
Babies and toddlers who are not toilet trained cannot use Royal Caribbean's regular pools, even with swim diapers.
If you're traveling with a little one who will want water time, choosing a ship with an appropriate baby splash area can make a BIG difference.
It's one of those tiny details that can completely change which ship I recommend to a family.
Is entertainment the same on every Royal Caribbean ship?
No. Entertainment varies by ship.
Some Royal Caribbean ships have ice skating shows. Some have AquaTheater shows. Some have Broadway-style productions or specific shows you may really want to see.
If entertainment is a major part of why you're excited about your cruise, don't assume every ship offers the same thing.
The same goes for dining. You'll find the basics across the fleet, but specialty restaurants and casual dining venues vary significantly by ship.
And yes, even something as seemingly simple as “Does my Royal Caribbean ship have a Starbucks?” is ship-dependent.
How important is the Royal Caribbean itinerary?
Very.
Don't get so distracted by the ship that you forget to look at where it's actually taking you.
I also LOVE seeing Perfect Day at CocoCay on an itinerary, particularly for first-time cruisers. It's such an easy day. You can walk off the ship and have access to a beautiful beach and pools without needing to plan an excursion or figure out transportation.
One important reminder: cruise ports are never guaranteed.
Weather and other circumstances can cause ports to be changed or skipped. This is particularly important during hurricane season. That Bermuda cruise you booked could potentially become a completely different itinerary if Mother Nature doesn't cooperate.
If you'd be devastated by an itinerary change, that's something to consider when choosing when and where to cruise.
What is the best length for a Royal Caribbean cruise?
I'm just going to say it: I think three-night cruises are too short.
You get onboard. You figure out where everything is. You unpack. You have approximately five minutes of fun.
And now it's time to pack again. 😂
If three nights is what your schedule or budget allows, then take the three-night cruise! I would rather see you cruise for three nights than not cruise at all.
But if you can make four nights work, I will almost always recommend doing it.
There's another consideration with shorter cruises: they can have more of a party atmosphere. If that's exactly what you're looking for, great. If it isn't, that's worth knowing before you book.
Can I take a short Royal Caribbean cruise from the Northeast?
Options are more limited.
People near us in Pennsylvania often love the idea of driving to Cape Liberty in New Jersey or Baltimore instead of flying to Florida. I completely understand why.
The problem is geography.
We simply can't get very far from the Northeast in three or four nights. Shorter options from our area are limited, and cruises to places like Bermuda or the Bahamas are generally going to require more time.
If you only have a few nights and want warm weather, you may need to fly to Florida.
When is the cheapest time to take a Royal Caribbean cruise?
There isn't one universally cheapest time, but when kids are out of school, cruises generally cost more.
Summer, spring break and holiday sailings are popular with families, which means demand goes up.
Royal Caribbean's Kids Sail Free promotion can sound amazing, but there's an important catch: it applies to qualifying children age 12 and under and typically has blackout dates during many popular school vacation periods.
If your kids are teenagers, Kids Sail Free isn't helping you anyway.
Families who can travel while school is in session will often have more pricing options.
When should I book a Royal Caribbean cruise?
As soon as you know you're going.
Cruise pricing is based heavily on availability. As cabins sell, prices often increase.
Could there be a last-minute deal? Absolutely. We occasionally see discounted fares closer to sailing.
But you're shopping from whatever is left.
That isn't how I want to plan a vacation if you need connecting cabins, a room that accommodates five people, a particular category, multiple cabins near each other or you're traveling during a popular week.
Booking early gives you choices.
And if an eligible lower fare becomes available before final payment, we can often look at adjusting the reservation rather than wishing we'd booked the cabin that's now sold out.
Can a family of five stay in one Royal Caribbean cabin?
Sometimes, but this is where things get complicated.
Some Royal Caribbean ships have staterooms that accommodate five or more guests without requiring a suite, but not every ship does, and those rooms tend to be limited.
Sometimes two staterooms are actually less expensive than one large family stateroom or suite.
The problem? Finding two connecting or appropriately located rooms gets harder as the ship fills.
This is another reason I tell larger families to book EARLY.
Royal Caribbean also has specific rules regarding minors in separate staterooms. Depending on the setup, children may be permitted in connecting rooms, adjacent rooms or rooms directly across the hall from their parents or legal guardians, but the exact cabin arrangement matters.
This is one of those situations where staring at a deck plan and knowing what you're looking at becomes surprisingly important.
What's included in the price of a Royal Caribbean cruise?
Your cruise fare includes your stateroom, most onboard entertainment and activities, main dining room meals, buffet meals and several other complimentary food options.
But Royal Caribbean is not an all-inclusive cruise line.
Depending on how you vacation, you may also spend money on things like:
- Gratuities
- Alcohol and specialty beverages
- Wi-Fi
- Specialty dining
- Shore excursions
- Certain onboard activities and experiences
- Spa treatments
- Transportation, airfare and hotels before or after the cruise
Unlike some cruise lines, Royal Caribbean doesn't currently offer one simple package that bundles all of those major extras into your cruise fare.
So don't compare cruises based solely on the number you see on the first pricing screen. Think about the total vacation cost and which extras your family will actually use.
What should I know about booking a Royal Caribbean group?
Royal Caribbean generally considers eight or more staterooms a group, but group space and group rates work differently from regular individual bookings.
Group rates aren't necessarily available for every cabin category, and group inventory can sell out even while cabins are still available to book individually.
If you're planning a family reunion, destination wedding, birthday trip or other group cruise, this is an area where working with someone who understands Royal Caribbean groups can make a HUGE difference.
And again: start early.
So...which Royal Caribbean cruise should you book?
That's exactly why I don't think choosing a cruise should start with, “What's the cheapest Royal Caribbean sailing?”
It should start with:
Who is traveling?
How old are the kids?
How much time do you have?
Do you care more about the ship or the destinations?
What activities matter to you?
How much do you realistically want to spend?
Do you need connecting rooms?
And are you someone who wants ALL THE THINGS, or would you actually be happier on a smaller, quieter ship?
There are a lot of Royal Caribbean cruises I love. That doesn't mean every one of them is right for every family.
Do you need a travel advisor to book Royal Caribbean?
You can absolutely book a Royal Caribbean cruise yourself.
But this is also exactly the kind of vacation where our knowledge can be incredibly valuable.
We can help figure out which ship makes sense for your family, compare itineraries and stateroom configurations, navigate options for larger families and groups, answer your questions along the way, and watch for eligible opportunities to adjust pricing.
Sometimes we may even have access to additional benefits depending on the ship, sailing and stateroom category.
But I'm going to be very clear: that's not the biggest reason to book with us.
Our value isn't whether we can throw an extra onboard credit onto your reservation.
It's knowing the difference between the ships. Knowing when paying more is worth it and when it probably isn't. Knowing that the cabin you're about to book isn't going to work the way you think it will. And knowing the questions to ask before you spend thousands of dollars on your vacation.
Because there isn't one “best” Royal Caribbean cruise.
There's the one that's best for you.
Let’s find the right cruise for your crew
Tell us who’s going, when you can travel and what matters most. We’ll help you compare the ships, itineraries and cabins that fit.
Let’s start planning →