11 Mistakes to Avoid on a Royal Caribbean Cruise

A Royal Caribbean cruise can be incredible—sunsets at sea, island ports, endless food, and just enough chaos to feel like an adventure.

But one big mistake can absolutely ruin the vibe.

Most first-time cruisers fall into the same traps. And even seasoned travelers slip up because cruising is its own weird ecosystem with rules nobody really explains.

So let’s fix that.

Here are 11 mistakes that cost you money, time, and fun—and how to avoid them.
Stick around till the end for the ultimate cruise secret, the one thing that can easily save you hundreds of dollars.

Mistake #1 – Overpacking Bulky Luggage When Cabin Storage Is Tiny

Cruise cabins are small.
Like smaller-than-most-hotel-rooms small.

If you roll in with three giant suitcases stuffed with “just in case” outfits, you’ll spend your entire cruise playing luggage Tetris just to reach your bed.

Storage is limited to:

• A small closet

• A few drawers

• Narrow space under the bed

Overpacking:

• Eats up every inch of storage

• Makes your cabin feel cluttered

• Adds stress every time you need to find something

The truth?

You don’t need:

• 10 pairs of shoes

• 5 formal outfits

• 14 totally different dinner looks

Most people live in:

• Swimsuits

• Shorts

• A couple of comfortable “nice” outfits for dinner

Plus, there’s laundry service on board if you really need it.

What to do instead:

• Pack versatile, mix-and-match clothing

• Bring comfortable shoes you’ll actually wear

• Think in outfits, not “options”

Your future self will thank you when you can walk around your cabin without tripping over your own stuff.

Mistake #2 – Choosing the Wrong Dining Time (Early vs. Late Seating)

On Royal Caribbean, dining time is strategy.

You’ll usually get to choose between:

• Early seating: around 5:30 PM

• Late seating: closer to 8:00 PM

Pick the wrong one and your whole evening feels off.

• Choose early and you might feel rushed getting back from excursions or still full from your late lunch by the pool.

• Choose late and you could miss early shows or end up starving while everyone else is halfway through dessert.

Dining time affects:

• What shows you can realistically see

• When you hit the casino or bars

• How tired you feel later in the night

What to do instead:

• If you’re an early bird or traveling with kids → early seating is your friend.

• If you’re a night owl or want to squeeze every drop out of port days → go late.

• Or choose My Time Dining for flexibility—but book your prime slots early. They fill up.

Mistake #3 – Not Downloading the Royal Caribbean App Before Boarding

This is a pure rookie move.

The Royal Caribbean app is basically your cruise command center:

• Daily schedule of events

• Show and dining reservations

• Deck maps so you don’t get lost

• Onboard spending tracker

Without it, you’re relying on:

• Asking crew directions constantly

• Paper schedules (the Cruise Compass)

• Your memory

The best part?
The app works offline once you’re on board.
You don’t need Wi-Fi to use it.

What to do instead:

• Download the app before you leave home

• Log in with your reservation details

• Familiarize yourself with the layout

Once you’re in port, signal gets spotty. Once you’re on the ship, Wi-Fi gets expensive.
A five-minute download at home can save you five days of frustration.

Mistake #4 – Not Making Reservations for Shows or Specialty Dining in Advance

Royal Caribbean packs its ships with:

• Broadway-style shows

• Ice skating performances (on some ships)

• Comedy acts

• Specialty restaurants that rival stuff on land

The problem? Everyone wants in.

If you wait until you’re on board:

• You’ll get awkward times

• Or flat-out “no availability”

• Or you’ll be stuck with standing room only at popular shows

Places like Chops Grille and other specialty dining options can book out days in advance. Same with the most in-demand shows.

What to do instead:

• Log into your Cruise Planner weeks before you sail

• Reserve the shows and restaurants you care about most

• Build your nights around those anchor experiences

Think of it like buying concert tickets:
Book early or miss out.

Mistake #5 – Waiting Too Long to Explore the Ship (Missing Hidden Spots)

Royal Caribbean ships are floating cities.
And like cities, they have hidden gems:

• A quiet lounge with panoramic ocean views

• A tucked-away hot tub nobody uses

• The one coffee shop that never has a line

• A peaceful deck area away from the pool chaos

If you wait until day four to wander around, you’ll realize you’ve been walking right past your favorite spot the entire time.

What to do instead:

• Use part of day one as scout mode

• Walk as many decks as you can

• Pop into lounges, bars, and open areas just to see them

• Note any quiet corners, views, or hidden seating spots you like

Claim your favorite hangout before the rest of the ship figures it out.

Mistake #6 – Assuming “All-Inclusive” Means Everything Is Included

Here’s the big myth:
Cruises love to market themselves as all-inclusive.

And yes, a lot is included:

• Your cabin

• Main dining room

• Buffet

• Most shows and entertainment

But that’s where the free ride ends.

You’ll typically pay extra for:

• Alcohol

• Specialty coffee drinks

• Soda (unless you buy a soda package)

• Wi-Fi

• Spa treatments

• Shore excursions

• Professional photos

• Some specialty restaurants

If you board thinking your SeaPass card is just “free fun,” you’re in for a painful surprise when you see your final bill.

What to do instead:

• Decide in advance what extras matter to you

• Budget for them realistically

• Skip the stuff you don’t care about

On a cruise, “all-inclusive” usually means the basics are covered.
Everything else is à la carte.

Mistake #7 – Sleeping In and Missing Sunrise at Sea

You’re on vacation. Sleeping in feels like a constitutional right.

But here’s the thing: sunrise at sea is different.

No buildings.
No traffic.
No city noise.
Just the sun rising over endless ocean.

It’s quiet, surreal, and weirdly emotional.

If you snooze until 10 AM every day, you’ll miss it.

What to do instead:

• Pick one morning

• Set an early alarm

• Grab a coffee

• Head out to the deck before everyone else wakes up

You don’t have to do it every day.
But do it at least once.
You’ll remember that morning long after you’ve forgotten your third buffet lunch.

Mistake #8 – Ignoring the Cruise Compass and Missing Great Events

Every day, Royal Caribbean publishes a full schedule of events:

• Trivia

• Dance classes

• Poolside games

• Art auctions

• Wine tastings

• Live music

• Comedy shows

• Towel folding demos and more

All of it is listed in:

• The Royal Caribbean app, and

• The paper Cruise Compass delivered to your cabin

Yet I constantly heard people say:

“Wait, that was today?”
“I didn’t know that was happening!”

It wasn’t a secret.
They just never looked.

What to do instead:

• Make checking the schedule part of your morning ritual

• Grab a coffee

• Open the app or Cruise Compass

• Circle or star anything that sounds fun

You don’t have to plan every minute.
But at least know what your options are so you don’t walk off the ship later realizing you missed half the good stuff.

Mistake #9 – Forgetting to Bring Small Bills for Tipping and Ports

Yes, Royal Caribbean automatically adds gratuities to your onboard account.
That covers:

• Your cabin steward

• Main dining and general onboard staff

But once you step off the ship, it’s a different world.

In port, cash is king:

• Tipping your bus driver

• Thanking your excursion guide

• Grabbing a drink at a beach bar

If all you have are large bills, it gets awkward fast. Nobody at a beach bar in Cozumel wants to break a $20 for a $2 tip.

What to do instead:

• Bring a small envelope with:

  • Plenty of $1 bills

  • A few $5s

• Keep it in your day bag for port days

This makes tipping easy, respectful, and not unintentionally over-generous every single time.

Mistake #10 – Not Setting a Budget in the Casino

The onboard casino is basically Vegas at sea:

• Flashing slot machines

• Table games

• Free drinks floating around (sometimes)

• Dark, windowless time warp

Here’s the un-fun truth: the house always wins.

Go in without a plan and you might walk out:

• Down a few hundred dollars

• Wondering where your excursion money went

What to do instead:

• Decide before you ever step foot in the casino how much you’re okay losing

  • Maybe $50

  • Maybe $100

• Treat it as entertainment, not “a way to make money”

• When that limit is gone, you’re done

This way, the casino becomes a fun part of your night—not the reason you regret your cruise.

Mistake #11 – Skipping Shore Excursions Out of Fear

It’s easy to psych yourself out about excursions:

• Foreign country

• Scary news stories

• Fear of missing the ship

• Worries about scams or safety

And yes, safety matters.
But letting fear keep you on board means you’ll miss the best parts of cruising—actually seeing the places you sailed all this way to visit.

In Costa Maya, I walked through ancient Mayan ruins surrounded by jungle.
In Cozumel, I did a city tour, tequila tasting, and beach stop.

None of that would have happened if I stayed on the ship “just to be safe.”

What to do instead:

• Book excursions through:

  • The cruise line, or

  • A trusted third-party with solid reviews

• Stay with your group

• Bring only what you need

• Always be back early before all-aboard time

Skipping excursions doesn’t protect you from anything.
It just robs you of the experiences you’ll remember most.

The Ultimate Cruise Secret: Drink Package Math

Let’s talk about the ultimate cruise secret—the one that can save you hundreds of dollars:

👉 The drink package is not automatically a good deal.

Royal Caribbean will promote it everywhere:

• In your email before the trip

• In your Cruise Planner

• With signs all over the ship

The pitch sounds amazing:

“Unlimited drinks for one flat price!”

But here’s the truth: the math doesn’t always work.

Typical drink package price:
$70–$100 per person, per day, depending on ship and sailing.

Now factor in:

• Morning latte or specialty coffee

• A couple cocktails by the pool

• A glass of wine at dinner

• Maybe a nightcap

If you drink a lot, yes, the package can absolutely save you money.

But if you’re more casual:

• One cocktail some days

• Maybe soda here and there

• Lots of port days where you’re off the ship

…you might end up paying way more than if you just bought drinks à la carte.

And don’t forget:
Most of the time, every adult in the cabin has to buy the package. You can’t share one.

On my cruise, I actually tracked what I drank versus what the package would’ve cost.

• Some days, the package would’ve been a win

• Most days, it wasn’t even close

Especially on port days when you’re off the ship exploring, doing excursions, or relaxing at a beach—not sitting by the pool ordering drink after drink.

What to do instead:

• Look honestly at your drinking habits

• Count how many alcoholic + specialty drinks you realistically have per day

• Factor in port days

• Multiply by drink prices in the app or planner

• Compare that to the package total

Sometimes the package is a lifesaver.
Other times it’s just money poured—literally—down the drain.

Final Thoughts: Turn Headaches into Highlights

That’s 11 mistakes that can turn your dream cruise into a headache.

The good news?
You now know exactly how to avoid them:

• Pack lighter

• Choose dining times that fit your lifestyle

• Use the app and Cruise Compass

• Explore the ship early

• Be honest about your budget and habits

• And most importantly—get off the ship and explore

If you’ve cruised before, let me know in the comments:

• Which mistake have you made?

• Which one are you avoiding next time?

And if you want more real, no-fluff cruise and travel breakdowns, hit subscribe on the YouTube channel.

Until then…
Travel Far.