A tip I would add would be to always self Disembark on the last day of your cruise. this means to NOT leave your luggage in the hallway the night before and just simply carry it off the ship with you (If you can carry it and handle it on your own) This saves you from having to wait in those lounges and being told what time you can get off. If you carry your own luggage you can get off whenever you want. I had an experience where I had to wait and wait and I almost missed my 14 hour international flight because they wouldn't call my number to get off the ship. That would have been a nightmare and NEVER doing that again. So if you are flying the same day I would highly recommend SELF DISEMBARKATION. or even if you are driving home, this would help get you to the parking lot that much faster.
Absolutely agree 100%! On the past two cruises I’ve taken, I’ve chosen the Self Assist option and it worked really well for me. I liked being able to breeze through the terminal with my belongings, going past the luggage of those who chose to have theirs picked up the night before. It really is the best option.
Best tip here is staying on the ship during port days. So many people think that ship completely closes down at port and that is insane talk. Great video as always! Thanks!
I spent 30 days on Majestic and didn't get off even once, lol! I felt like i've been there, done that and just enjoyed a nearly empty ship. It was really cool actually, i found places i hadn't been to onboard as well as other people who hadn't left the ship either. Movies in theatre were shown, eateries were open for lunch and i was surprised to see so many people in there.
It depends. Some shore excursions are boring and poorly organized but others happen to be exciting and very enjoyable. Many people buy insanely overpriced and useless for light drinkers drink packages and get drunk on port days. We prefer spending our money on the best shore excursions instead.
So I understand it doesn't matter to you what is your cruise itinerary, where are you sailing. It does matter to us. We love seeing new wonderful places, enjoying exciting excursions, taking photos and videos, seeing, learning and enjoying a lot.
The fact that everyone in a family doesn't HAVE to do everything together is what's unique about cruises. The Simpsons episode about cruising hit the nail on the head. Another wierdness about cruising: Magnetic hooks and over-the-door shoe organizers. The only travelers who use these are cruisers.
We have done more than 65 cruises. Have never ever used those hooks - and never will. I just do not see the need - they take up room in our luggage and hanging stuff on them in the cabin is not my way of tidying up. I find it looks more messy. 🤷
Ok, this is hilarious. That’s our family at the hibachi table at 9:55. It was the 1/6/2024 sailing on Odyssey. Were you on that sailing Matt, sneakily recording us? 😂
I Stayed on board on RCI, went to the Spa. I got the best pedicure ever because technician had a lot of time for my horrendously calloused feet! Tipped her big! ❤
We booked through Next Cruise for 21 months in advance to coincide with Christmas break for our twin’s first year in college. What I didn’t expect was that this same cruise - still 7 months away - is nearly $5000 more than the day I booked it!!
Calling the cruise to book can be just as helpful as calling a TA but with less risk. I’ve always booked online but for our last trip we called. They were able to compare the current deals/discounts to find the best deal for us and ended up adding on a few perks (like a bottle of wine). Took the same amount of time as booking online but ensured we got as good a deal as possible.
Booking two rooms is absolutely valid. I had booked an interior virtual balcony for me and three adult kids. Realized this made zero sense in terms of space and watched prices. I have since upgraded to two ocean balcony rooms and paid an additional $650 total for a massive upgrade. It wouldn’t have cost anything out of pocket for two interior rooms from what I’d already paid, but I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and treat us. And this is on Utopia so older ships would absolutely have this option. Royal Caribbean said rooms for four or more are in super high demand for summer and spring break times, so the two person rooms are cheaper and way more comfortable
I agree with some things, and disagree as well. First, the things I disagree with: I don't know about leaving your kids on this ship unless you were booking an excursion that was with the ship, so the ship knows where you are (I think that's what you were suggesting and that's probably fine.) Also don't know about booking 2 years early and using a travel agent. Booking a cruise itself is actually really simple and you shouldn't have to pay extra for a travel agent. Anytime I booked a cruise it was at least 4 to 6 months in advanced and never had any issues with picking a room. Things I agree with: Two cabins instead of one is a really good tip if you are traveling with a couple people especially since the rooms and bathrooms are so small. I did a cruise with my mom and we had connecting rooms and it was a big game changer. (Extra tip. I do snore and she could hear me through the walls lol so keep that in mind the connecting rooms may be a little thinner walls.) Also I agree with staying on board the ship if you don't think you will enjoy the port or it may not even be a very safe port to walk around and explore on your own. Always check for travel advisories as well. A tip I would add would be to always self Disembark on the last day of your cruise. this means to NOT leave your luggage in the hallway the night before and just simply carry it off the ship with you (If you can carry it and handle it on your own) This saves you from having to wait in those lounges and being told what time you can get off. If you carry your own luggage you can get off whenever you want. I had an experience where I had to wait and wait and I almost missed my 14 hour international flight because they wouldn't call my number to get off the ship. That would have been a nightmare and NEVER doing that again. So if you are flying the same day I would highly recommend SELF DISEMBARKATION. or even if you are driving home, this would help get you to the parking lot that much faster.
Booking early is so important - also getting lucky with pricing at the time. I randomly (with no knowledge that Icon of the Seas even existed) happened to be searching for accommodation options in Miami for our planned summer 2024 holiday within a couple of days of Icon tickets first going on sale. As a result we changed our hotel plans and flipped one week of our trip to a cruise instead and got a pretty great price. Right now the same trip in summer 2025 is 80% more than we paid - so it's unlikely I'll be sailing on any Icon ships for the foreseeable future.
I think 6-8 months ahead is a good amount of time. I have been on many cruises and have never used a travel agent. The Royal website is easy to use. I booked two cruises in about an hour. I just don't see the point of involving another person. It isn't very difficult once you've done it once. Looking forward to Liberty Of The Seas in 72 days!
I thought the same thing you did about just booking through the Royal Caribbean website. Until I decided to give Matt’s MEI travel agents a try. I booked back to back cruises myself and then reached out to MEI and the agent claimed the booking and rebooked for me. When I booked through Royal Caribbean the cruises were $4700 total. When she rebooked it I got it for $3500 total. That… is why you use a good agent.
@@MerriHaub-er6crI feel it’s a bit of an American thing being able to get it cheaper. I’m from Australia and tried a few travel agents before booking though the website as every single time the travel agents were a lot more expensive. I like the idea of a contact person incase it goes badly but couldn’t justify the extra price
I like the stay on the ship in port. I did on Symphony during New Years Cruise, best decision. Quiet, Solarium was quieter. Will do that on Icon in October for sure.
I've only been on one Cruise, and I'll go back on that Cruise, every year; "70,000 Tons Of Metal." It is on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Here is my tip. Pick the earliest time to get on the ship on embarkation day, or one of the earliest. You've heard of the funny saying, "Hurry Up, And Wait?" Well, in this case, that makes sense. It is better to hurry up and wait, than it is to wait and hurry up. If you hurry up and wait, at least you'll be waiting on the ship.
We have booked all of our upcomming cruises 2 years in advance as they release dates during black friday! Got some really good prices for all 3 of them especially the one we booked for August this year for a 2 week cruise from Southampton in a Junior suite for 4 of us.
Something newbies might find weird: The price you see listed is not remotely close to the price you'll likely pay. Do you want to pick your own room, with a balcony, closer to mid ship, and have some drinks on that balcony while surfing the internet.....? And then do you want a massage before heading to the steakhouse the night before your shore excursion? I imagine most people pay 2-3 times the advertised price.
Just got back from Freedom of the Seas. Nassau port is so much better now compared to 2 years ago. Much cleaner. I actually like Nassau better than CocoCay. Cant wait for my next cruise! Might tey Icon of the Seas or one of the Oasis classes...the food on the ship did go downhill tho 😢
All of my children are adults, so they’ll be getting their own stateroom. If they want to stay or get off the ship, that's on them. Hopefully, I will see them at dinner or one of the shows😂
Sometimes. that is how we travel, too. They do their stuff, we do ours. And in the evening we meet at dinner. Did that in Norway last year and it was great.
Another tip for new cruisers is that they can save money by not booking the latest, greatest ship in the fleet. Booking an older ship can provide many of the same amenities, but for a lower fare.
I booked my second cruise and it’s like my do over from my first cruise. I will be going on a 3 night with allure of the seas. I’m excited and scared at same time
Adventure ocean is top-notch. My six-year-old loves loves loves it. Totally comfortable leaving her on the ship. If there was an issue, I’m quite certain they would be able to track me down.
I've booked a year in advance, but not two. The rate was lower and the ability to have the entire cruise paid for ahead of time so you don't come home to a major bill to pay is a relief. I've been on a cruise where there were two ports I'd already been to and the excursions were not appealing. So I stayed on the ship. I always use an agent. Mine will argue with the idiots on the phone instead of me! They get me the best insurance, the best room, and the best connecting flights to the cruise ports.
Tried to book my first cruise 2 years out, but it was full for the dates I could travel. Nearly a 3 year wait. Now looking forward to my next cruise.. in 2 years.
As a travel advisor I am seeing a different demographic but also a rise in first timers wanting to use me as a free google search and get all the information only to then take these efforts and prices and try to save money or book direct thinking they are getting a better deal. It's a different dynamic all round in so many ways atm
Leaving your kids on board the ship while you go experience somewhere does seem weird. When my family plans a trip we usually factor in events that are appropriate for everyone. After all, it's a family vacation.
Will have been to the Bahamas for the 3rd time in a year come December. Come December, we plan on staying on the ship for the most part and taking advantage of the empty ship.
I was wondering about the leaving the kids on board. They told us to leave both of our kids but we felt weird doing that because the phone won’t work out there.. maybe we’ll try it one day bc my kids LOVE the kids club!
I can''t imagine not being available to get to my kids in case they have an emergency or get ill, esp. in a foreign country. And I have no idea about the people "caring" for them.....not for me.
My family have been on two cruises and about to go on our third. I enjoy your videos and format but really wish you covered more of the northern trips and ships.
Another super video Matt, thanks! I’m Pinnacle so I’ve cruised a bunch. I struggle with why I could get a a better rate using a TA. I don’t understand why they can’t give me the net-savings by booking direct, other than they don’t need to do that.
Because often agencies have special rates. You’d be surprised how often there are better group or agency rate. Not to mention they just make your life easier by saving you time. I’d rather text my needs to my agent than wait and call to speak to someone
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog I used a TA for a booking. She asked me the booking questions that are in RC. I was online and could see what she was going to ask. No extras no help. What TA do you use?
Leaving ur kid is ok, however we accidently forgot we had a kid still with us as we left them 2 times on the ship but then the one time we took them off ship, we forgot them. Oh well, one day we we'll find them again, or they might find us who knows.
Not a cruise, but on a family trip to Hawaii several years ago I went on the website to check in for our flight home on the last day but United messed up the flight reservation. Called the travel agent, talked to her for about 5 minutes, then SHE contacted United to fix it, allowing me to spend my last afternoon there on the beach with my family instead of on hold with United. This was also just days after Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines, two of the largest operators between Hawaii and the mainland at the time, both shut down with no notice in the same week, so I doubt I would have gotten anywhere with a minimum wage callcenter employee anyway.
Matt as always your tips sound great! We probably won’t use the one about leaving the kids on the ship while going to the ports, it does seem a bit scary. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can change travel agents? I listened to you and used MEI travel, our agent isn’t as helpful as I’ve asked several times about help with airplane and hotel accommodations and haven’t received anything. Our trip is in November and we should probably start looking into those things. Thanks for everything!
It has to be weird to a new cruiser to join a roll call group and also to sign up for events like a cabin crawl, slot pull, gift exchange or group meet up
Yet every time I check prices for a cruise we booked last year on Liberty, for this August, no matter what the "super discount of the day is" from RCL that day, the cost is within dollars of what we booked it at last September on Liberty. Why is that?
Honestly, the one to two years early is why we struggle with going on a cruise. It's too far away foe us and we just can't wait and still pay for it. We will forget and then spend all the money on vacations we can do more immediately.
For going on a cruise with a large group do you recommend using walkie talkies? If so, what is a good brand to get? Or what other way would you suggest communicating amongst my group?
We have 2 booked in 2025, and 2 booked in 2026. I had one booked in Jan this year and booked it 2 years ago and one coming in September that i booked about a year ahead
What is your family made of? I have two kiddos and trying to figure out if it’s worth it to do 2 rooms because of the kids sail free promotion - we can sail anytime since we homeschool
@@angelofmusic1026 we have to do summer or we would do the kids sail free in one room. This one was almost 300dollars difference between 2-2 person rooms and 1 four person room.
Very weird and misleading tips. We book our cruises one month or less before the date of departure for best savings. The latest example: I booked the cheapest inside cabin on beautiful MSC Seashore for a 7-day May 5-12 Caribbean cruise for the 2 of us - my wife and I. Booked it on April 16, less than a month before leaving. Paid a total of $810 including all taxes and fees. Received an upgrade to deluxe oceanside balcony on Deck 15 without asking for it. And we never, ever use travel agents because we prefer being in control of our choices and of the prices we pay.
Travel agents dont have better deals all the time. It depends on the sailing. But I'd say better than half the cruises they quote me are better than I see online.
No. And Yes. As I understand it, a guaranteed cabin is for a TYPE of cabin. You get to pick the type of cabin, but not the location. Some cabins can be noisy if they're near the anchor or the tender platform or under the pool deck or nightclub, for instance. The balconies of some cabins may get sooty if they are in the path of the fallout from the cruise ship funnel. Some rooms in odd locations might have unusual layouts or bed arrangements. On the plus side there's a secondary benefit of booking a guarantee cabin beyond the cost savings: If the cruise line sells out of your cabin type, it will move you up to the next available category. If you were going to pick the cheapest inside cabin anyway and don't care about its location, why not book the guarantee? You might be bumped up to a better category within that cabin type if all the cheapest ones are booked and paid for. That could mean a slightly larger room or a better location on the ship.
@@bugwar5545 have you ever been upgraded from a guarantee interior cabin? What matt is referencing is how a "Guarantee" cabin is not actually Guaranteed. If the cruise line overbooks the ship you can be dropped even if you were fully paid for and vacations and time from work already planned. On top of that you may not get notified until days before and even the day of. Google it. It honestly is a gamble, however, even know the gamble I've still booked guarantees and never been on the negative side of the coin. Just food for thought because canceled vacations can be very costly when it comes to travel and PTO and multiple peoples schedules lining up.
Currently, ships are often completely booked. The guarantee does not guarantee that you will even have a cabin, if there are no available cabins. RC often is 103% or more full so in those cases, the guarantee folks stay home.
We booked our first repositioning cruise from Seattle to Tokyo for this Fall. Since it’ll be cold we picked an interior, virtual balcony. Mostly out of curiosity. We knew we’d be risking location but it was a really good deal. Our understanding is that these cruises aren’t usually filled to capacity. I’ll admit, it didn’t occur to us that we could possibly get bumped off the cruise. But if we get bumped it’s no big deal. We’ll just fly out to our destination. Thanks for the insight. It was very helpful.
@@jackmortimer329 "... does not guarantee that you will even have a cabin..." Where did you get such a wrong idea? If Royal Caribbean offers you the option for a guaranteed cabin, then there is at least one cabin open. If there are no cabins available, then you won't be offered the option in the first place.
You have to be privileged af to book two years in advance... or just not from the United States. Most people cant do that for a million reasons bedides the obvious.
We have not experienced a Royal Carribean cruise with a lot of children. We typically cruise RC because they usually do not have a lot of children. If you want to cruise with very limited kids - try Oceania.
One thing that bothers me about video cruise information is that they only say what they want you to know, why doesn't this video say the real popular reason why a person should book a cruise 2 years in advance? especially for newbies because THEY DON'T KNOW!!! The idea is to educate people that have never cruised before so that they can be animated to cruise, there are so many people that don't cruise and don't care about cruising and don't know about cruising because they think it's expensive and only for people that are well off, how about telling people that CRUISES CAN BE LAYAWAYED OR FINANCED WITH A REASONABLE DOWN PAYMENT!!! Depending on the price of the cruise of course, and that they can pay it off as they go and have an entire year to pay off their cruise, in some cases they have more time to pay it off, I swear people will learn more from comments than the video itself
@Joemondaking that's not the point, the point is, this helps people that can't afford to pay a vacation instantly, everyone has the right to a vacation but not everyone can pay one in an instant, layawaying a vacation gives people a chance to take one even when they can't afford to pay one all at once, the way cruises work, is that they give you a chance to pay one off if you plan for one way in advance, of course they are not going to allow you to take a cruise until you pay it off, but when you plan for one 2 years in advance, you have time to pay it off, and then you'd be able to take it cause its paid off, by your comment, I don't think you understood how cruising works, if you were thinking that they let you take the cruise while you are paying for it? Lol, no it doesn't work that way, you a get a chance to pay it off first, then you enjoy it
@Joemondaking ok now your comment is becoming somewhat senseless, and I have no clue where your getting at, I was very thorough about explaining the lack of info the video gives on cruises and you misunderstanding about the way cruise vacations work, apparently you didnt understand because if you did you would not have brought up an irrelevant comment based on opinions, my comment is about volunteering factual and important information that was not given on this video regarding cruises, so I don't know what is so hard about understanding something so simple that I explained with articulation, are you trolling? Cause if you are, I have no time for that senseless behavior ok?
A tip I would add would be to always self Disembark on the last day of your cruise. this means to NOT leave your luggage in the hallway the night before and just simply carry it off the ship with you (If you can carry it and handle it on your own) This saves you from having to wait in those lounges and being told what time you can get off. If you carry your own luggage you can get off whenever you want. I had an experience where I had to wait and wait and I almost missed my 14 hour international flight because they wouldn't call my number to get off the ship. That would have been a nightmare and NEVER doing that again. So if you are flying the same day I would highly recommend SELF DISEMBARKATION. or even if you are driving home, this would help get you to the parking lot that much faster.
Absolutely agree 100%! On the past two cruises I’ve taken, I’ve chosen the Self Assist option and it worked really well for me. I liked being able to breeze through the terminal with my belongings, going past the luggage of those who chose to have theirs picked up the night before. It really is the best option.
On our first cruise, We took our own luggage off and are glad we did. Hundreds of others had their luggage lost!
Best tip here is staying on the ship during port days. So many people think that ship completely closes down at port and that is insane talk. Great video as always! Thanks!
Totally agreed, this was crazy for us last year on Explorer as it was like a ghost ship when staying on during port days absolutely loved it!
I spent 30 days on Majestic and didn't get off even once, lol! I felt like i've been there, done that and just enjoyed a nearly empty ship. It was really cool actually, i found places i hadn't been to onboard as well as other people who hadn't left the ship either. Movies in theatre were shown, eateries were open for lunch and i was surprised to see so many people in there.
But then you don't get to go to the port...
It depends. Some shore excursions are boring and poorly organized but others happen to be exciting and very enjoyable. Many people buy insanely overpriced and useless for light drinkers drink packages and get drunk on port days. We prefer spending our money on the best shore excursions instead.
So I understand it doesn't matter to you what is your cruise itinerary, where are you sailing. It does matter to us. We love seeing new wonderful places, enjoying exciting excursions, taking photos and videos, seeing, learning and enjoying a lot.
The fact that everyone in a family doesn't HAVE to do everything together is what's unique about cruises. The Simpsons episode about cruising hit the nail on the head. Another wierdness about cruising: Magnetic hooks and over-the-door shoe organizers. The only travelers who use these are cruisers.
Most cruisers don't even use the metal hooks, they take up too much space in our bags
We have done more than 65 cruises. Have never ever used those hooks - and never will.
I just do not see the need - they take up room in our luggage and hanging stuff on them in the cabin is not my way of tidying up. I find it looks more messy. 🤷
@@jcspotter7322 Too much space?! They're little hooks. What did you buy?
If you need a over the door shoe hanger to organize, you pack too much and/or don't know how to organize effectively.
@@tduck828 correct!
We ALWAYS get two cabins for the four of us - my wife and I in one cabin, and our two adult kids in the other. We all love it!!
Do you get points for each cabin when you book two? If I book two cabins for a 7 day cruise, I want 14 points, not 7!
Ok, this is hilarious. That’s our family at the hibachi table at 9:55. It was the 1/6/2024 sailing on Odyssey. Were you on that sailing Matt, sneakily recording us? 😂
Thats funny!!
Excellent video. No annoying music and no face shots of the commentator.
I hate these typical RUclips voices, though. Lol the weird low to high pitches drive me nuts
I always book at least 1 year out. Always get a great deal. Ive done that for all my RC CRUISE. and I just did it for the sun princess
I Stayed on board on RCI, went to the Spa. I got the best pedicure ever because technician had a lot of time for my horrendously calloused feet! Tipped her big! ❤
We booked through Next Cruise for 21 months in advance to coincide with Christmas break for our twin’s first year in college. What I didn’t expect was that this same cruise - still 7 months away - is nearly $5000 more than the day I booked it!!
These are all spot on tips, except for the TA. I've had bad experiences and have learned it's not complicated to book it myself.
Calling the cruise to book can be just as helpful as calling a TA but with less risk. I’ve always booked online but for our last trip we called. They were able to compare the current deals/discounts to find the best deal for us and ended up adding on a few perks (like a bottle of wine). Took the same amount of time as booking online but ensured we got as good a deal as possible.
Just watching this video I got that euphoria feeling about our next cruise in October. Liberty OTS can't wait to sail her again!
Booking two rooms is absolutely valid. I had booked an interior virtual balcony for me and three adult kids. Realized this made zero sense in terms of space and watched prices. I have since upgraded to two ocean balcony rooms and paid an additional $650 total for a massive upgrade. It wouldn’t have cost anything out of pocket for two interior rooms from what I’d already paid, but I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and treat us. And this is on Utopia so older ships would absolutely have this option. Royal Caribbean said rooms for four or more are in super high demand for summer and spring break times, so the two person rooms are cheaper and way more comfortable
I agree with some things, and disagree as well.
First, the things I disagree with: I don't know about leaving your kids on this ship unless you were booking an excursion that was with the ship, so the ship knows where you are (I think that's what you were suggesting and that's probably fine.) Also don't know about booking 2 years early and using a travel agent. Booking a cruise itself is actually really simple and you shouldn't have to pay extra for a travel agent. Anytime I booked a cruise it was at least 4 to 6 months in advanced and never had any issues with picking a room.
Things I agree with: Two cabins instead of one is a really good tip if you are traveling with a couple people especially since the rooms and bathrooms are so small. I did a cruise with my mom and we had connecting rooms and it was a big game changer. (Extra tip. I do snore and she could hear me through the walls lol so keep that in mind the connecting rooms may be a little thinner walls.) Also I agree with staying on board the ship if you don't think you will enjoy the port or it may not even be a very safe port to walk around and explore on your own. Always check for travel advisories as well.
A tip I would add would be to always self Disembark on the last day of your cruise. this means to NOT leave your luggage in the hallway the night before and just simply carry it off the ship with you (If you can carry it and handle it on your own) This saves you from having to wait in those lounges and being told what time you can get off. If you carry your own luggage you can get off whenever you want. I had an experience where I had to wait and wait and I almost missed my 14 hour international flight because they wouldn't call my number to get off the ship. That would have been a nightmare and NEVER doing that again. So if you are flying the same day I would highly recommend SELF DISEMBARKATION. or even if you are driving home, this would help get you to the parking lot that much faster.
Booking early is so important - also getting lucky with pricing at the time. I randomly (with no knowledge that Icon of the Seas even existed) happened to be searching for accommodation options in Miami for our planned summer 2024 holiday within a couple of days of Icon tickets first going on sale. As a result we changed our hotel plans and flipped one week of our trip to a cruise instead and got a pretty great price. Right now the same trip in summer 2025 is 80% more than we paid - so it's unlikely I'll be sailing on any Icon ships for the foreseeable future.
I think 6-8 months ahead is a good amount of time. I have been on many cruises and have never used a travel agent. The Royal website is easy to use. I booked two cruises in about an hour. I just don't see the point of involving another person. It isn't very difficult once you've done it once. Looking forward to Liberty Of The Seas in 72 days!
I thought the same thing you did about just booking through the Royal Caribbean website. Until I decided to give Matt’s MEI travel agents a try. I booked back to back cruises myself and then reached out to MEI and the agent claimed the booking and rebooked for me. When I booked through Royal Caribbean the cruises were $4700 total. When she rebooked it I got it for $3500 total. That… is why you use a good agent.
@@MerriHaub-er6crI feel it’s a bit of an American thing being able to get it cheaper. I’m from Australia and tried a few travel agents before booking though the website as every single time the travel agents were a lot more expensive. I like the idea of a contact person incase it goes badly but couldn’t justify the extra price
I like the stay on the ship in port. I did on Symphony during New Years Cruise, best decision. Quiet, Solarium was quieter. Will do that on Icon in October for sure.
I've only been on one Cruise, and I'll go back on that Cruise, every year; "70,000 Tons Of Metal." It is on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Here is my tip. Pick the earliest time to get on the ship on embarkation day, or one of the earliest. You've heard of the funny saying, "Hurry Up, And Wait?" Well, in this case, that makes sense. It is better to hurry up and wait, than it is to wait and hurry up. If you hurry up and wait, at least you'll be waiting on the ship.
We have booked all of our upcomming cruises 2 years in advance as they release dates during black friday! Got some really good prices for all 3 of them especially the one we booked for August this year for a 2 week cruise from Southampton in a Junior suite for 4 of us.
Something newbies might find weird: The price you see listed is not remotely close to the price you'll likely pay.
Do you want to pick your own room, with a balcony, closer to mid ship, and have some drinks on that balcony while surfing the internet.....?
And then do you want a massage before heading to the steakhouse the night before your shore excursion?
I imagine most people pay 2-3 times the advertised price.
Just got back from Freedom of the Seas. Nassau port is so much better now compared to 2 years ago. Much cleaner. I actually like Nassau better than CocoCay. Cant wait for my next cruise! Might tey Icon of the Seas or one of the Oasis classes...the food on the ship did go downhill tho 😢
When we took the kids cruising with us for the first time we booked a second room for them. It also allowed to work the drink packages the right way.
Booking a second cabin on our icon cruise was like $5000 more. So not realistic.
Book an inside across the hall. What kind of cabin were you paying $5000?
All of my children are adults, so they’ll be getting their own stateroom. If they want to stay or get off the ship, that's on them. Hopefully, I will see them at dinner or one of the shows😂
Sometimes. that is how we travel, too. They do their stuff, we do ours. And in the evening we meet at dinner. Did that in Norway last year and it was great.
Another tip for new cruisers is that they can save money by not booking the latest, greatest ship in the fleet. Booking an older ship can provide many of the same amenities, but for a lower fare.
this is good for my royal cruises
Great Info!!! As a travel agent its very important ppl know this
I booked my second cruise and it’s like my do over from my first cruise. I will be going on a 3 night with allure of the seas. I’m excited and scared at same time
Adventure ocean is top-notch. My six-year-old loves loves loves it. Totally comfortable leaving her on the ship. If there was an issue, I’m quite certain they would be able to track me down.
We always get 2 rooms because 2 showers and bathrooms are a necessity with teens and tweens!!
I've booked a year in advance, but not two. The rate was lower and the ability to have the entire cruise paid for ahead of time so you don't come home to a major bill to pay is a relief.
I've been on a cruise where there were two ports I'd already been to and the excursions were not appealing. So I stayed on the ship.
I always use an agent. Mine will argue with the idiots on the phone instead of me! They get me the best insurance, the best room, and the best connecting flights to the cruise ports.
Good information 👍🏾
Tried to book my first cruise 2 years out, but it was full for the dates I could travel. Nearly a 3 year wait. Now looking forward to my next cruise.. in 2 years.
As a travel advisor I am seeing a different demographic but also a rise in first timers wanting to use me as a free google search and get all the information only to then take these efforts and prices and try to save money or book direct thinking they are getting a better deal. It's a different dynamic all round in so many ways atm
Leaving your kids on board the ship while you go experience somewhere does seem weird. When my family plans a trip we usually factor in events that are appropriate for everyone. After all, it's a family vacation.
Will have been to the Bahamas for the 3rd time in a year come December.
Come December, we plan on staying on the ship for the most part and taking advantage of the empty ship.
I was wondering about the leaving the kids on board. They told us to leave both of our kids but we felt weird doing that because the phone won’t work out there.. maybe we’ll try it one day bc my kids LOVE the kids club!
I can''t imagine not being available to get to my kids in case they have an emergency or get ill, esp. in a foreign country. And I have no idea about the people "caring" for them.....not for me.
We booked our next cruise via Next Cruise. We were on the Wonder of the Seas in April, and we're going to Alaska in September, 2025.
Booked Alaska land and sea owners suite a month ago for August 2025
I booked though Deelightful destinations.
My family have been on two cruises and about to go on our third. I enjoy your videos and format but really wish you covered more of the northern trips and ships.
Our teenage son preferred to stay on the ship with other teenagers he met. The teen program was great!
1-2 years feels way to short for me. I wish I could book my 50th Anniversary cruise now (10 years out). I felt rushed book our 40th 18 months out.
Another super video Matt, thanks! I’m Pinnacle so I’ve cruised a bunch. I struggle with why I could get a a better rate using a TA. I don’t understand why they can’t give me the net-savings by booking direct, other than they don’t need to do that.
Because often agencies have special rates. You’d be surprised how often there are better group or agency rate.
Not to mention they just make your life easier by saving you time. I’d rather text my needs to my agent than wait and call to speak to someone
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog I used a TA for a booking. She asked me the booking questions that are in RC. I was online and could see what she was going to ask. No extras no help. What TA do you use?
Leaving ur kid is ok, however we accidently forgot we had a kid still with us as we left them 2 times on the ship but then the one time we took them off ship, we forgot them. Oh well, one day we we'll find them again, or they might find us who knows.
Woah
Did you shake out your carry on?
Not a cruise, but on a family trip to Hawaii several years ago I went on the website to check in for our flight home on the last day but United messed up the flight reservation. Called the travel agent, talked to her for about 5 minutes, then SHE contacted United to fix it, allowing me to spend my last afternoon there on the beach with my family instead of on hold with United. This was also just days after Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines, two of the largest operators between Hawaii and the mainland at the time, both shut down with no notice in the same week, so I doubt I would have gotten anywhere with a minimum wage callcenter employee anyway.
Matt as always your tips sound great! We probably won’t use the one about leaving the kids on the ship while going to the ports, it does seem a bit scary. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can change travel agents? I listened to you and used MEI travel, our agent isn’t as helpful as I’ve asked several times about help with airplane and hotel accommodations and haven’t received anything. Our trip is in November and we should probably start looking into those things. Thanks for everything!
Booking with a travel agent might be relevant in USA. It's total crap where I am from you don't get any extra benefits.
Take your shore excursion early and plan to be back on the ship two hours before departure time,
It has to be weird to a new cruiser to join a roll call group and also to sign up for events like a cabin crawl, slot pull, gift exchange or group meet up
I would never do that.
Yet every time I check prices for a cruise we booked last year on Liberty, for this August, no matter what the "super discount of the day is" from RCL that day, the cost is within dollars of what we booked it at last September on Liberty. Why is that?
I wish I could plan 1-2 years in advance. I just booked the Grandeur of the Seas for July 6th, 2024 🤣
Making plans for our 2026 cruises 👍 Retirement is sweet 😁
Did Matt just call out Kenny? Dang!
We never leave the ship only when they kick us off lol best days are port visit days and every gets off
Honestly, the one to two years early is why we struggle with going on a cruise. It's too far away foe us and we just can't wait and still pay for it. We will forget and then spend all the money on vacations we can do more immediately.
Why are parts of your video blurry and out of focus? Are they copied?
For going on a cruise with a large group do you recommend using walkie talkies? If so, what is a good brand to get? Or what other way would you suggest communicating amongst my group?
We have 2 booked in 2025, and 2 booked in 2026. I had one booked in Jan this year and booked it 2 years ago and one coming in September that i booked about a year ahead
What’s crazy the last two times I’ve booked cruises. It was actually cheaper for me to book 2 rooms with 2 people in it vs one room with 4 people.
What is your family made of? I have two kiddos and trying to figure out if it’s worth it to do 2 rooms because of the kids sail free promotion - we can sail anytime since we homeschool
@@angelofmusic1026 we have to do summer or we would do the kids sail free in one room. This one was almost 300dollars difference between 2-2 person rooms and 1 four person room.
Great
Extra cabins for extra bathrooms!
If I'm leaving kids on board the ship then I'm going on a ship's shore excursion so there's no chance it's going to leave without me.
Very weird and misleading tips. We book our cruises one month or less before the date of departure for best savings. The latest example: I booked the cheapest inside cabin on beautiful MSC Seashore for a 7-day May 5-12 Caribbean cruise for the 2 of us - my wife and I. Booked it on April 16, less than a month before leaving. Paid a total of $810 including all taxes and fees. Received an upgrade to deluxe oceanside balcony on Deck 15 without asking for it. And we never, ever use travel agents because we prefer being in control of our choices and of the prices we pay.
With all the travel agents out there, how do you pick the right one?
Word of mouth recommendations
WHAT!!! The WALLS are STEEL and magnetic hooks STICK to them🤣
Yes
Ceilings too!
And the doors.
And booking last minute, even with a travel agent can be pricey
Booked with travel agent recently and she did not get me any deals! I was very disappointed 😥
Travel agents dont have better deals all the time. It depends on the sailing. But I'd say better than half the cruises they quote me are better than I see online.
Kenny caught a stray. 😂🤣😂🤣
Oh my God he killed Kenny!
Is Royal still offering the 10 drink savings cards for $99 and can you use them for frozen drinks? Thanks!
Sometimes, yes
How do you find a good and qualified travel agent?
Word of mouth. I recommend MEI travel
Expedia would not even let you book a cruise without a local agent.
Why are Guaranteed cabins a bad idea?
No. And Yes.
As I understand it, a guaranteed cabin is for a TYPE of cabin. You get to pick the type of cabin, but not the location.
Some cabins can be noisy if they're near the anchor or the tender platform or under the pool deck or nightclub, for instance. The balconies of some cabins may get sooty if they are in the path of the fallout from the cruise ship funnel. Some rooms in odd locations might have unusual layouts or bed arrangements.
On the plus side there's a secondary benefit of booking a guarantee cabin beyond the cost savings: If the cruise line sells out of your cabin type, it will move you up to the next available category. If you were going to pick the cheapest inside cabin anyway and don't care about its location, why not book the guarantee? You might be bumped up to a better category within that cabin type if all the cheapest ones are booked and paid for. That could mean a slightly larger room or a better location on the ship.
@@bugwar5545 have you ever been upgraded from a guarantee interior cabin?
What matt is referencing is how a "Guarantee" cabin is not actually Guaranteed. If the cruise line overbooks the ship you can be dropped even if you were fully paid for and vacations and time from work already planned. On top of that you may not get notified until days before and even the day of. Google it. It honestly is a gamble, however, even know the gamble I've still booked guarantees and never been on the negative side of the coin. Just food for thought because canceled vacations can be very costly when it comes to travel and PTO and multiple peoples schedules lining up.
Currently, ships are often completely booked. The guarantee does not guarantee that you will even have a cabin, if there are no available cabins. RC often is 103% or more full so in those cases, the guarantee folks stay home.
We booked our first repositioning cruise from Seattle to Tokyo for this Fall. Since it’ll be cold we picked an interior, virtual balcony. Mostly out of curiosity. We knew we’d be risking location but it was a really good deal. Our understanding is that these cruises aren’t usually filled to capacity. I’ll admit, it didn’t occur to us that we could possibly get bumped off the cruise. But if we get bumped it’s no big deal. We’ll just fly out to our destination. Thanks for the insight. It was very helpful.
@@jackmortimer329 "... does not guarantee that you will even have a cabin..."
Where did you get such a wrong idea?
If Royal Caribbean offers you the option for a guaranteed cabin, then there is at least one cabin open.
If there are no cabins available, then you won't be offered the option in the first place.
Not practical when you’re 72.
You have to be privileged af to book two years in advance... or just not from the United States. Most people cant do that for a million reasons bedides the obvious.
Most of us Americans can't do that, either!
Royal Carribean just attracts too many families with kids behaving badly, or should I say, without supervision. We have sidelined RCL for that reason.
Bye Felicia! Have fun in your utopia planet without kids.
We haven't had that problem with children, but then we have taken longer cruises, not in the Carribean.
I haven't seen any tiny terrors, but that is probably because I generally ignore those who aren't affecting me directly.
I have had no problem with the little ones. Love watching them.
We have not experienced a Royal Carribean cruise with a lot of children. We typically cruise RC because they usually do not have a lot of children. If you want to cruise with very limited kids - try Oceania.
Terrible to listen to
Sounds ok to me.
I agree with the travel agent (mei travel) already emailed us and saved us over $900 already 100% worth it
One thing that bothers me about video cruise information is that they only say what they want you to know, why doesn't this video say the real popular reason why a person should book a cruise 2 years in advance? especially for newbies because THEY DON'T KNOW!!! The idea is to educate people that have never cruised before so that they can be animated to cruise, there are so many people that don't cruise and don't care about cruising and don't know about cruising because they think it's expensive and only for people that are well off, how about telling people that CRUISES CAN BE LAYAWAYED OR FINANCED WITH A REASONABLE DOWN PAYMENT!!! Depending on the price of the cruise of course, and that they can pay it off as they go and have an entire year to pay off their cruise, in some cases they have more time to pay it off, I swear people will learn more from comments than the video itself
If you gotta pay off a vacation over time, you shouldn’t take a vacation. But that’s my opinion
@Joemondaking that's not the point, the point is, this helps people that can't afford to pay a vacation instantly, everyone has the right to a vacation but not everyone can pay one in an instant, layawaying a vacation gives people a chance to take one even when they can't afford to pay one all at once, the way cruises work, is that they give you a chance to pay one off if you plan for one way in advance, of course they are not going to allow you to take a cruise until you pay it off, but when you plan for one 2 years in advance, you have time to pay it off, and then you'd be able to take it cause its paid off, by your comment, I don't think you understood how cruising works, if you were thinking that they let you take the cruise while you are paying for it? Lol, no it doesn't work that way, you a get a chance to pay it off first, then you enjoy it
@@MoonLight-zk3gm I do understand. I don’t understand people like you though.
@Joemondaking ok now your comment is becoming somewhat senseless, and I have no clue where your getting at, I was very thorough about explaining the lack of info the video gives on cruises and you misunderstanding about the way cruise vacations work, apparently you didnt understand because if you did you would not have brought up an irrelevant comment based on opinions, my comment is about volunteering factual and important information that was not given on this video regarding cruises, so I don't know what is so hard about understanding something so simple that I explained with articulation, are you trolling? Cause if you are, I have no time for that senseless behavior ok?
@@Joemondakingoh Mr fancy pants rich McGee over here