What to know before booking a Royal Caribbean cruise

A Royal Caribbean cruise is a fantastic family vacation choice, but before you book, you should arm yourself with some knowledge to ensure your cruise is terrific. The saying "you don't know what you don't know" is certainly true when it comes to cruising. First time cruisers make a lot of mistakes and there are many things that are simply impossible to know until you go.

With that in mind, we have written this guide with some important things that first time cruisers ought to know before they actually book a cruise. There is plenty of planning to be done after booking a cruise, but here are some good things to consider prior to picking a ship and sailing.

[Subscribe for more Royal Caribbean videos!]

[Listen to our Podcast]

[Social Links]

[andreamcleod]

MUCH APPRECIATION FOR SHOUTING OUT US TRAVEL AGENTS! XX My very first cruise was in 2016 w/RC (Navigator of the Seas) my next one is with my church group this October to Italy & Greece (Jewel of the Seas), then December 7th with my two other Bday girls (April: me, Oct. friend & Dec. 8th: Cousin) aboard Symphony of the Seas...YEAH BABY!!

[marcsarfati]

Royal Cab

I booked a cruise early. Two month later a better promotion came up. Royal Cab gave me the difference and lower my price to the new promo. If you book early you have to check every month for new promo.

[biglar]

Thanks for this video. I just booked yesterday for January 2020 on symphony of the seas. It’s so much information to learn.

[parakeetmama]

love your videos. I am sailing on my first cruise in Februrary 2021.

[captok]

Don’t book the Enchantment of the seas. Just got off it. It’s an old ship that’s in dyer need of maintenance. They should rename it the Rust Bucket of the Seas.

[kensleyvalcin]

Great information I’m going on a 7 day cruise in September 2019.

[ladyphoenix]

I really ❣️ RC. I'm booked Oct 2020, RC has a sale today. Called RC and was able to REPRICE my booking and got $$ back👌👌 + on board credit 🤗 & the drink pack is on sale 446pp 👌 I'm seasoned so I book and manage my RC dashboard myself

[ArielBos]

Thanks Matt! You are always informative and have great tips. I look forward to sailing RC in the near future.

[Pfsif]

Watch those travel agent, mine (Superior) out of NY slipped in a huge fee disguised inside the taxes and port charges. RC would not help me with THEIR travel agent.

[WynPhotos]

👍🏻👍🏻 Having just been one one, great information...

[ianwaynemcdonald]

I pay the cruise line and then the cruise line takes some of that money and pays the travel agent. How am I not paying for the travel agent?

[basq]

"Book early" is not always the best strategy, depending on cabin type and sailing date. Sometimes deals can be had much later if sales are slow on that particular sailing, and waiting and watching rates for your desired cabin can work out very well, as it has for me. The tradeoff is that you have to be willing to risk the possibility that you don't wind up going on that sailing date/ship because prices go up. However, if you can be flexible and watch the market closely, you can get a better deal, including OBC and perks that wouldn't have been available early on.

[TheChoiceofMotherhood]

I asked this on another video but never heard back from you. How do you find a good travel agent? The ones I've used before were useless. I knew more than they did! I found a cheaper price too and then had to argue with the agent to get it when I could have just booked online. I'm in Canada so I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not.

[beautybachelor]

So, I'm under the impression that a physical Birth Certificate is needed for "closed-loop" cruises? To re-enter port... Can you expound?

[karenlazzaro]

what ship is the beginning of this footage

[RussianPinoy]

He talks way too fast to enjoy and understand what he is saying, I almost started grasping for air while listening to this guy talk