A Royal Caribbean cruise in 2026 is exactly the kind of vacation millions will enjoy, and there are important things to do and avoid on any sailing.
Royal Caribbean is planning a big year with the launch of a new ship, opening of two beach clubs, and likely many more announcements to come in the new year.
I think it’s of paramount importance to be prepared with the right tips and advice before you board so you can maximize your cruise vacation.
Here is my list of 26 simple do’s and don’ts to fully enjoy a Royal Caribbean cruise this year.
Prices are only headed up for a 2026 cruise, so you’ll want to book sooner than later.
Royal Caribbean Group executives have already told Wall Street analysts they expect to continue a steady climb in prices to match demand.
What this means for consumers is your best bet is to book a cruise now and not wait for a price drop that may never happen.
Book early and lock in the price, along with the cabin category you prefer.
The key to getting onboard your Royal Caribbean ship faster and then knowing everything that’s going on is to use the cruise line’s app.
Download it a few months before the cruise so that you can use it to do the online check-in. This will not only get you an early check-in time, but probably get you access to a faster line too.
I’d go as far to say the Royal Caribbean app is critical to have so you can get things done faster.
Travel agents provide a wealth of knowledge and will save you time too.
Because of how personalized a cruise is compared to other vacations, new cruisers will greatly benefit from working with a good travel agent.
They can take advantage of group rates, offer advice on the best ship or accommodations for your family, and be your advocate if there’s a billing problem later with Royal Caribbean.
A good travel agent should cost you nothing extra to use, so I’d recommend using one when booking any cruise.
It’s tempting to book a flight the same day as your cruise departs, but you’re playing with fire if you do that.
A cruise ship will not wait if your flight is delayed or cancelled, and there are no refunds either. While travel insurance would reimburse you, it still doesn’t make up for the lost vacation.
Instead, you want to book a flight at least one day before your cruise begins. At least two days earlier if it’s an overseas flight.
This strategy ensures a travel delay doesn’t impact your ability to go on the cruise.
The more I cruise, the more value I see in buying a travel insurance policy.
Travel insurance covers so many unforeseen circumstances and is fairly inexpensive (cheaper than many shore excursions), so I think it’s a must-buy for all cruisers.
Travel interruptions, lost baggage, weather-related port changes, and injuries are all covered by travel insurance. But you’d be out of luck getting any compensation without it.
There’s simply no excuse for waiting to buy a drink package, Wi-Fi package, or any other extra until you get on the ship.
Royal Caribbean discounts those same items if you buy it before the cruise begins, and the savings can be substantial.
Drink packages are especially discounted before the sailing, as are passes to the Royal Beach Club, Hideaway Beach, or other exclusive areas.
Not only will the price be higher onboard, but there’s also a much higher chance it will sell out. Because Royal Caribbean has gotten so good at getting the word out there about its app, more people than ever are using it and it’s quite common for excursions and dining to get fully booked up.
I recommend logging into the Royal Caribbean site or the app at least a few times before the cruise begins to check prices and see what’s available. The sweet spot is around 2-3 months before your cruise is set to begin.
Royal Caribbean allows you to check-in up to 45 days before your cruise begins, and I’d recommend getting it done ASAP.
Most people prefer an early check-in time at the terminal, and those early time slots go quickly.
Use the Royal Caribbean app to quickly log in and get a check-in time. You can come back later and fill out the rest of the information needed to check-in later.
Definitely do not show up to the cruise terminal without your online check-in complete, because you’ll waste time in the terminal doing it there instead.
You could save a lot of money by letting Royal Caribbean pick your stateroom location, but you need to be clear on what that really means.
That option will get you a guarantee cabin, meaning later you’ll be assigned a room based on what’s left unsold. That isn’t inherently a bad thing, but usually there’s a reason those cabins are unsold.
You could end up with a room at the very front or back of the ship that is more susceptible to getting seasick. Or you could get a connecting room with a not-so-noise proof door between you and a strangers cabin.
I don’t want to scare anyone, because guarantee cabins aren’t necessarily a bad choice. But you give up control of the exact location and some cruisers might not want that.
If you sleep like a rock, don’t get seasick, and barely spend any time in your stateroom, then a GTY room could be the right choice for you.
I’ll see comments from cruisers surprised that the sailing is sold out, but that’s pretty much the norm these days.
Cruising has never been so popular and demand for a cruise vacation is at an all-time high. It’s not a question of “if” your cruise will sell out, but when.
That might give you pause about the ship feeling crowded. Keep in mind cruise ships are designed with a full capacity in mind, and they do a pretty good job at distributing everyone.
The typical times you’ll find crowding is:
You should expect crowds occasionally, but that doesn’t mean a bad time either. You can usually find uncrowded areas quickly.
You have a few hours to complete the muster process, but I think it’s best to knock it out as soon as you’re onboard.
The morning of the cruise before you even get to the cruise terminal, watch the safety video and listen to the emergency alarm in the Safety section of the Royal Caribbean app.
One person can do it per cabin and check it off for everyone else in the cabin.
Then when you step aboard, head to your muster station and check-in there.
Completing the muster drill first means you don’t have to worry about it later and there’s nothing else to do and you can start enjoying your vacation.
Each evening has an optional theme for dinner, and a lot of families enjoy dressing up and being a part of the fun.
It’s totally fine if you don’t want to participate, but many like the idea of themed outfits.
You can look up the theme nights before your cruise begins and buy what you need before you board.
When you book a cruise, there are two choices for dinner in the Main Dining Room: traditional and My Time Dining. Each has its pros and cons, but I’d recommend understanding them all fully before making a choice.
The issue with choosing poorly is you risk frustration and disappointment later.
In a nutshell, traditional dinner is always at the same time, but has no waiting or check-in. However, it may curb your port or ship plans because there’s no way to alter the time.
My Time Dining offers the choice of anytime to dine in the evening, but you need to make reservations and pre-plan or risk waiting in a standby line for a table.
Yes, you could change your mind later on the ship if it doesn’t work out as you expected, but there will be limited options.
Don’t wait until the last minute to see if your passport is expired or if your daughter’s boyfriend actually has a passport.
Depending on where you’re sailing and which country you live in, there are different requirements for proper documentation. In short, if you have valid passports that won’t expire within six months, you should be safe to cruise anywhere Royal Caribbean sails.
It’s a good idea to pull out everyone’s passports now and double check everything and renew them before it’s too late.
The days of walking off your cruise ship in a port and finding a great tour are less likely because of how easy it is to pre-plan.
Excursions are popular because of how easy they are to do. Book it, show up, and then they take care of the rest.
I’d recommend booking a shore excursion at least 4-6 months before your sailing to ensure you’re ahead of the curve when it comes to tours selling out.
I cannot imagine walking off the ship and haggling with tour operators blindly without reviews, photos, and comparisons.
The kids club will open for registrations at 1pm on the first day of the cruise and this is the best time to get them set for the fun later.
While you can register kids for Adventure Ocean or teen club at any time, you’ll find lines and a slower process if you don’t do it during the open house period on embarkation day.
Plus, it’s easiest for kids and teens to make friends on the first day because everyone is new and looking to meet others. After the first day, groups are made and it’s a little more socially difficult.
Was your stateroom shower busted most of the cruise? Did that charge for a towel you returned not get taken off? Get those issues taken care of while you’re still on the ship!
In my experience, it’s far easier to get those things sorted out quickly onboard because they have all the information and people necessary to reach in one space. One you’re home, the shoreside team will have to coordinate with the ship and that adds delays until they can sort it all out.
I recommend not walking off that ship on the final morning until you’re confident your final bill and any issues you wanted addressed are complete.
View the discussion thread.
Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis. He has become one of the foremost experts on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Over the years, he has reached Pinnacle Club status with Royal Caribbean’s customer loyalty program.
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