Royal Caribbean Cruise Guide: Know Before You Go
So you are ready to book your cruise? Whether we convinced you in our recent post about cruising with a toddler, or your found your way here by some other means - we are happy you found this post!
Curious about the onboard daycare options and activities for toddlers? Read “Royal Caribbean Cruise Guide: Daycare and Toddler Activities”
Looking for toddler-friendly options while in port? Read “Royal Caribbean Cruise Guide: Eastern Caribbean Port Recommendations with a Toddler”.
What to Consider When You Book
Take Advantage of Promotions
If you are new to cruising, you may get sticker-shock when you see the final cost. Remember that the cost covers all of your onboard meals, snacks, stateroom, entertainment, and childcare for kids over 3 years. In my opinion, it is well worth the price.
However, there are ways to get a better deal! First, Royal Caribbean often offers a “Kids Sail Free” promotion. You can find it be looking at the main banner on their homepage. There are some restrictions as to sailing dates and ships, so it is best to be flexible with your dates. Note that you still have to pay taxes for your child, but no sailing fee. They also often have a 30% off rate for all guests. If you can take advantage of both, you will be getting a steal!
Consider the Weather
I always recommend looking at the typical weather for your vacation dates. If you are locked in to specific dates, at least you know what to expect. If you are flexible, find a good combination of least busy and least chance of extreme weather for your trip. Know that you still may run into less than ideal conditions - alas, much of life is out of your control.
Select the Best Cabin for your Family
There is definitely a benefit to choosing your stateroom strategically. When booking, you have the option to save a few bucks and have a room within your room type (inside cabin, balcony, etc.) selected for you. When traveling with a toddler, I would recommend forgoing this option, and instead choosing your exact cabin. We feel our experience was infinitely better because of the location of our stateroom. Here is what we recommend, in order of most important to least important
Proximity to a forward elevator bank - When traveling with a toddler, we highly recommend a room that is close to a forward elevator bank. Let us explain - First, ship hallways are long and narrow, and can pose a challenge when trying to pass other passengers while pushing a stroller, and the hallways can be distracting for a toddler who is on foot. You will inevitably find yourself in the elevator (plus the buttons are the coolest things on board to a toddler!) We recommend a stateroom just a few steps from an elevator bank. We did not find them to be busy or loud, and instead, very convenient. Second, the ship’s daycare is on Deck 14 forward, and the adults-only pools and bar are on Deck 15 forward - coincidence? I think not. Furthermore, there is a lovely included restaurant near the adults-only area as well (Solarium Bistro,) and the main theater is on Deck 4/5 forward. Being at the front of the ship makes it so simple to drop your child off at daycare, and get on with your “adult-only” time with absolute ease. As a bonus, being close to the forward elevator bank is ideal for disembarking at ports for those with wheels (stroller or wheelchair.) Disembark by taking the forward elevator to the 3rd floor and you can walk straight off the ship! If you choose not to bring your stroller, it would be easy to take the stairs up or down to your destination as well!
Outside Cabin - On Royal Caribbean mega-ships there are MANY cabin options. There are traditional interior cabins, outside facing cabins, balcony cabins, but also cabins with windows/balconies that are inward facing. Think of it like a U-shape, where on each arm of the “U” there are cabins that face out, and cabins that face in, looking over the shopping area or “Central Park” area. We found the cabins that faced inward likely had frequent noise, if not loud, at least rumbling. Inward facing cabins on Decks 6 and 7 overlook the lively shopping and dining area on Deck 5. Inward facing staterooms on Decks 7-14 on the back (or aft) of the ship overlook the “Boardwalk” which can be lively depending on the night. The arcade, carousel, and candy shop are located on the Boardwalk and attract kids and teenagers who often aren’t conscious of their volume. We would recommend against these rooms if possible. If you are leaning toward an inward-facing cabin, those on Decks 7-14 that overlook “Central Park” area (center and forward) would be your best option as the are is quieter and you would have a balcony open to the sky.
Deck - We strategically chose a room on Deck 8, just a few steps from the “Central Park” neighborhood. We absolutely made the right choice, as we were close to Park Cafe for a light breakfast, when our son demanded oatmeal at 6:30am. We were able to get a feel for the weather more easily, and we loved walking through the park to start and end our day. The acoustic guitarist played each night at 7:15pm, and it became our ritual to grab some tea and wind down to his music before heading off to bed.
Balcony - We opted for a balcony to give us the option of enjoying the view while our son napped, but we ended up only using it twice on our week-long voyage. For those trying to determine whether it is worth it to have a balcony, I’d say it only slightly improved our experience. For those worried if it is safe to have a balcony room with a toddler, the answer is yes! Each balcony has glass from the floor to a 42” railing (I did not bring a tape measurer - so I may be off a few inches.)
Port vs Starboard - Ultimately, we think these are equal. We were on the port side of the ship and enjoyed it, but there is no tangible benefit over a stateroom on the starboard side. It may be worth a quick search to see if your specific itinerary has better views from one side or the other - I know Northbound Alaskan cruises have more to see from the starboard side of the ship.
For reference, our room was 8116 on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas
Preparing for Your Trip
Booking Excursions and Making Dining Reservations
As soon as you are able to, after booking your cruise, you should reserve any Royal Caribbean sponsored shore excursions and upgraded dining reservations. You can do this through the App, or through the website - but we found the website easier to navigate.
We did not find any port excursions suitable for our family which included a two year old, but there were many that sounded interesting for families with slightly older children.
We did book two upgraded dining options: Izumi Hibachi and Wonderland. In short, we would recommend the Hibachi with or without your toddler, and Wonderland without your toddler. Read below for more information!
If you aren’t sure which night to make your specialty dining reservations, I suggest dinner reservations on the port days of St Maarten and St Thomas. There are less entertainment options on those nights, so you are less likely to be missing out on something you really want to see.
Check In Using the Royal Caribbean App
About 30 days prior to your voyage, you will be able to check-in for your cruise using the Royal Caribbean App (set an alarm on your phone as you may not receive an email reminding you to check in). You will be able to check in everyone in your room using one device. The check-in requires three things from each person:
a photo of your face (taken using your camera - not pulled from your photo library) - used as reference by all staff on ship and is attached to your Sea Pass account.
a photo of your passport (taken using your camera -not pulled from your photo library)
a few questions regarding COVID-19 vaccinations - the answer to these does not matter, but the information collected helps the onboard team know that status of its passengers
Once you check in using the app, you are able to select a boarding time starting as early as 10:30am. If it is important to you to be on the ship first, you will need to check-in on the app as soon as it opens, before others scoop up the early boarding time slots.
What to Expect from Your Stateroom
It can be hard to prepare for a trip if you don’t know what your room will include! We found our outside cabin to be very comfortable, and require very few “from home" additions.
Our stateroom came with all the things you might expect - a Queen sized bed, 4 pillows of varying firmness, two small closets, ample shelving and drawers for a family of 3 (who pack thoughtfully), bathroom storage space, a small couch, and a desk with a chair. The balcony had 2 chairs and a side table.
There was 12-14 inches of clearance under our bed, where we stored our luggage and dirty laundry throughout our voyage. Our travel carseat did not fit.
Hand soap was on the bathroom counter, and one shampoo/body gel dispenser was installed in the shower.
There were hooks on the back of the bathroom door which we used for towels and bathing suits, and any toddler clothes we needed to hang dry. There was no “drying string” in the shower, as I have seen on some other ships. A makeshift hang-dry area in the shower would be beneficial, or we also saw some families set up a laundry line on their balcony using supplies brought from home.
The bathroom sink was a little high for our son, but an overturned trash can turned into a stool did the trick so our son could independently wash his hands - which was really important to him at the time.
The room came equipped with standard US sockets in the bathroom, on one side of the bed, and at the desk. Two USB and two US socket are located at the desk, as well as one Schuko socket which is compatible with most European plugs.
Blackout curtains worked well and made for a satisfyingly dark room even in the middle of the day. Bring binder clips to hold them together for a perfectly dark room.
Though the room is sufficiently dark, we still like to bring our pack n play cover, so we can move about the room with low-lighting as we get ourselves ready for bed. We have also found it keeps our climbing toddler safely in his pack n’ play.
Royal Caribbean provides a pack n’ play upon request (call in advance). They can provide a standard sheet or blanket, but I recommend bringing your own pack n’ play sheet as it will fit much better.
There are a few indicator lights in the room (on the light switch and on the TV) that can be annoying as you try to fall asleep. If you think that would bother you, bring blackout stickers.
Laundry is available as a service onboard, including a dry cleaning/pressing service if your formal wear gets wrinkled. You are not allowed to bring irons onboard, and they are not provided in your stateroom.
Packing Recommendations
Being out at sea means you are hundreds of miles from the nearest Target. It is important to pack for a number of scenarios while still being thoughtful. Here is what we made sure to pack for our warm-weather cruise:
Toddler Packing List
Check out Toddler Travel Must-Haves for links to our favorites!
Outfits: 1.5 x number of days, plus
1-2 “nice” outfits for formal dinners
2 sets of swimwear
2 sets of pajamas
Shoes: 1 pair beach sandals/watershoes/crocs, 2 pair tennis shoes (only bring tried and true shoes)
Jackets: 1 light jacket or sweater, 1 rain jacket
Underwear (3 x number of days) or Diapers (5 x number of days)
Reusable swim diaper (or disposable diapers)
Sleep Sack (multiple if there is a chance of soiling)
Pack n’ play sheet (multiple if there is a chance of soiling)
Pack n’ play light blocking shade cover
2 binder clips (to keep cabin shades closed)
Toothbrush and toothpaste
First Aid: Infant/Children’s tylenol, bandaids, Desitin, unpetroleum jelly (or aquaphor), hand sanitizer
Sunscreen and a hat
Snacks: You know your kid best, so pack their comfort snacks. For us, we were happy to have applesauce pouches, olives to-go, goldfish, peanut butter to-go, raisins, fruit leathers, seaweed snacks, and sesame crackers.
Plastic containers: 3 different sizes, and a handful of sandwich bags for carrying snacks around the ship, or off the ship on port days.
Sippy or straw cup
Bib
Backpack with a harness or strap (optional) - although using one of these onboard resulted in some passengers giving us odd looks, we loved allowing him to roam free(er) around the deck while still maintaining some control over where he walks.
Downloaded shows/movies: Since there is no free wifi once you board the ship, it is important to download your toddler’s favorite shows and movies onto your portable devices before getting onboard if you want to make of use of them while waiting for a show to start, dinner to arrive, or when the inevitably wake up at 4:30am because they are in a new environment.
Packing Suggestions for Adults
You probably know what to pack for yourself, but consider also adding the following items:
Airpods and a podcast/book: Since there is no free wifi once you board the ship, it is important to download podcast episodes or a book to your phone so you can use them while at sea.
Fanny Pack: It is very nice to only need a few things on hand while on board. I often only carried my sea pass, sunglasses, 2 diapers, a few wipes, sunblock, and a handful of emergency snacks. A fanny pack is a freeing alternative to the big diaper bag.
Snorkel gear (fins not necessary): Both St Thomas and St Maarten are good places to snorkel. If you have the desire and the luggage space, it is worth it to bring along your own snorkel gear.
String or another makeshift hang-dry solution
Blackout tape if indicator lights bother you at night
Royal Caribbeans packing recommendations and prohibited items.
Strollers v. Carrier
We brought a small, compact umbrella stroller for our trip. I would recommend this for a few reasons:
First, while Puerto Rico was beautiful with its dimly lit cobblestone streets (our ship was in port 5-10pm), it was not easily walkable especially for a toddler. We were thankful to push a stroller, instead of carrying our son up the port city’s hilly neighborhood.
Second, your stroller can be a time-saving hack! If you disembark or embark with wheels (stroller or wheelchair) you get to use a different route than everyone else and take the elevators down to deck 3. From here it is a quick exit off the ship! We never had to wait in line, whereas those who disembarked by foot had to wait in line for up to 30 minutes while standing on stairs.
Finally, strollers are great pack mules - holding sippy cups, snacks, extra clothing, sunblock, water, etc. It is also the best way to keep your exploring child out of danger and a safe place to rock your cranky child to sleep.
We considered bringing a hiking backpack but decided against it, and I think it was the right call. The only place we would have benefited from it was our 5 hours in Puerto Rico, but the stroller worked well enough for that. If you absolutely wanted to hike in one of the ports, it might be necessary, but otherwise, leave it at home.
Toddler-Friendly Restaurants Onboard
Toddlers are welcome in all restaurants and bars, as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Almost all eateries have a handwashing station that guests are encouraged to use before they enter. A COVID-era change that benefits parents of little ones! However there are just some places that feel more appropriate for toddlers. These were our favorites and least favorite:
Windjammer Buffet - a lot of options for a potentially picky eater, and quick in-and-out if you are pushing bedtime.
Solarium Bistro Buffet - A little more upscale than the Windjammer, but still approachable and still a buffet so you can be on your own timeline. Unlike the Windjammer, they do ask that you make a reservation (although we showed up early once and were seated without any issues.)
El Loco Fresh - Very casual and a great place to grab a meal especially if your toddler will eat a quesadilla or likes Mexican Food. If not, grab them a plate at the Windjammer just a short walk away before or after you visit. We noticed that the line for this restaurant gets very long, given that it is located on the pool deck.
Sorrento’s Pizza - They serve some sides and fruit along with pizza slices. A great place to grab something on the go.
Izumi Hibachi Experience - We chose to do an upgraded meal, and thought our toddler would find the hibachi experience interesting. He loved the rice and edamame. However, the whole experience took about 2.5 hours which is a long time for a little guy. We took turns going on a walk when he got squirmy. Still a fun experience and we would recommend it, especially as kids under 5 years can join for free.
Least favorite: While we enjoyed the fare served at the Main Restaurant, we found the service to be too slow for our toddler. No fault to the crew at all - a three course meal hasn’t been in the cards for our family for some time. Try it, especially on Lobster night, and decide for yourself!
Adults-Only Recommendations
We took advantage of the Adventure Ocean Nursery (read all about it here) for a few hours nearly every day. If you have the opportunity to have some alone time, we recommend the following kid-free experiences:
Pop up just one floor from the nursery and enjoy the quiet stillness at the Adults-Only Solarium. We found it to be most peaceful early in the day (before 10am) and later in the afternoon (7pm-10pm).
Take advantage of one of the upgraded dining options! We loved our quirky and delicious visit to Wonderland. It was a lovely moderately-paced adventure through many appetizers, fanciful drinks, and one main entree. Kids 8 and older would probably appreciate this experience, but note the menu items are generally exploratory (no mac n cheese on the menu) and much of it is seafood based (though as a non-seafood eater I still very much recommend this experience).
Grab a drink at Rising Tide, the bar that floats from Deck 5 to Deck 8. If you time it perfectly, the whole experience will take about 15 minutes, but plan for at least 30 minutes. We don’t recommend this with toddlers, as the bar is open to the whole Deck 5 Atrium, and there is no way to make a quick exit if needed once the bar starts moving.
See a show! Perhaps my favorite thing about cruises is the great entertainment options each night. I particularly love the Broadway style shows for their high production value and talented cast. For this cruise in particular, I would recommend seeing “Hairspray” or one of the 18+ comedy shows as date night experiences. “Flight” (aviation themed theater show), “Hiro” (water show) and “1977” (ice skating show) have frequent changes in style and scenery to keep it interesting for little ones, and lack a strong storyline so you wouldn’t miss out on any plot points should you need to step out for a bit.
Any questions? Ask us in the comments!
