Once you're on board a Royal Caribbean ship, you'll find that packages for dining, drinks and internet will be higher than what you could have paid in advance. But do you really want your first day on board to result in an unpleasant morning after? Royal Caribbean ships have some wonderful extra-charge restaurants that you might want to try, such as the signature Chops Grille steakhouses found on many vessels. While most cruise lines allow passengers to bring a small amount of alcohol, soda and bottled water for consumption in their cabin, make sure you have not gone over the cruise lines allowance for bringing your own beverages on board. Not very crowded and good. And, even if they do, you'll probably never see any of them again, so it doesn't matter what they think. But it's easy to miss out on these perks if you're not aware of what you can get. In our experience, guests will usually be let into the cruise terminal around 10am, or shortly thereafter and embarkation usually begins somewhere around 11am. Royal Caribbean ships offer laundry and dry cleaning services that will get your clothes cleaned quickly for a nominal fee. If Royal Caribbean ships are known for anything, it is their marquee deck-top attractions giant waterslides, surfing simulators, climbing walls and skydiving tubes, to name a few. This is my first RC cruise (Enchantment of the Seas) next week and I heard a hot tip to skip the main buffet and try a side restaurant for Embarkation Day lunch (because everyone will be heading to the buffet). Related: 26 cruise secrets from an expert that will blow your mind. Embarkation Day Lunch - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Please check once onboard if any specialty restaurants are open for lunch on embarkation day. Many Royal Caribbean cruisers also wont head to a ship without room freshener, a foldable shoe rack (which they hang in the cabin bathroom to store toiletries), a highlighter (to highlight activities on the daily planner) and a lanyard (to hold their cabin keycard). You just show up and have fun. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. They don't just apply when you're on your Royal Caribbean ship. Do you own stock in Royal Caribbean's parent company, the Royal Caribbean Group? way to make calls and access the internet from Royal Caribbean ships, The best cruise apps to streamline your vacation at sea, 8 cabin locations on cruise ships that you definitely should avoid, How to book a cruise with points and miles, Everything you need to know about tipping on a cruise ship, 26 cruise secrets from an expert that will blow your mind, pay the equivalent of $1,330 in points for a flight that cost $16,000, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Keep a level head and look forward to good times once your sailing gets underway. Here are some dos and donts to help make embarkation day as hassle-free as possible. You may request the nontransferable credit each time you cruise. 27Bay Area options for Mother's Day 2021 - East Bay Times We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. At Royal Caribbean, it's called the NextCruise program, and the bonus could include up to $600 in onboard credits for the next cruise that you book and up to 10% off shore excursions on the sailing. The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases.