Last Updated on February 22, 2025 by Mrunal & Jiten
Believe it or not, National Margarita Day is a thing and it might be how you get a good price on a Royal Caribbean drink package.
One of the most popular add-on costs for a cruise vacation is a Royal Caribbean drink package because of how convenient it is to have unlimited drinks without concern of running up a high bar bill.
While Royal Caribbean runs sales throughout the year for major holidays like Black Friday, July 4th, and New Years, it also offers discounts for what might seem like silly holidays, including National Margarita Day. Seriously.
The actual “holiday” is on February 22, but Royal Caribbean has added discounts in on Friday, and off the bat cruise fans noticed significant discounts.
Whereas the onboard price for the Deluxe Beverage Package costs typically around $115 per person, per day, some people are seeing discounts as low as $59.99 per person, per day.
“I’m seeing 59.99 for nine night liberty in September,” posted Leroyr55 on the Royal Caribbean message boards.
In doing spot checks for some my upcoming cruises, I saw prices ran between $62.99 – $68.99, depending on the ship and sail date.
Royal Caribbean’s drink packages use variable pricing, which means the price you pay will vary from ship to ship and sailing to sailing.
The sale applies to purchases made February 21, 2025 – February 24, 2025 and applies to select sailings departing February 25, 2025 – December 31, 2025.
You can check drink package prices by going into the Royal Caribbean app or logging onto the Royal Caribbean website and heading to the Cruise Planner section.
Located under Beverage Packages, you’ll see the options and prices available.
While the Deluxe Beverage Package is quite popular, you can find discounts on other drink packages too.
In my spot checks, the average discount for the Royal Refreshment Package is 20% off, while the Classic Soda Package is running at 30% off.
Given National Margarita Day celebrates an alcoholic beverage, it makes sense why the Deluxe Beverage Package is enjoying the best discount.
While there are indeed steep discounts offered, the lowest prices are being offered to top tier members of the Crown and Anchor Society.
Discounts of 40% off are available for guests that are at least Diamond level, which requires 80 points in Royal Caribbean’s customer loyalty program.
If that’s you, then you can expect to save quite a lot on a drink package purchase.
Those that haven’t reached Diamond level are still seeing discounts, just not as steep.
JasonOasis posted, “The [Deluxe Beverage Package] for our 4 nighter dropped from $79 per day to $68 per day.”
“The 4 nighter was always priced between $79 – $93 per day and I was checking it every week the price never dropped below $79.”
dovecruiser says they don’t have any status with Royal Caribbean, but are seeing prices “reduced from $100 to $75” for their sailing.
If you bought the Deluxe Beverage Package at $65.99 per person, per day, you might want to know about how much you have to drink to make it worth it.
The Deluxe Beverage Package includes a lot of different beverages, such as beer, wine by the glass, liquors, premium coffees, juices, and sodas. There are so many possible combinations of drinks you could order during your sailing.
Thanks to message board user Grenadyr, there’s a drink calculator that makes the “drink math” a lot simpler to figure out.
If you had 3 cocktails, 1 premium coffee, 1 beer, and 1 bottled water per day, you’d pretty much break even.
That’s fairly easy to accomplish on a sea day, but port days make it more difficult because you’re usually off the ship on a shore excursion. That reduces the amount of hours to take advantage of your drink package benefit.
Whether you’re a Pinnacle Club member like me, or a Gold status member like my friend Michael Poole, you should buy the drink package before your cruise begins to save money.
Royal Caribbean offers the best price when you pre-purchase, and yet, a lot of people make the mistake of waiting to book it on their ship.
Even if you’re on the fence about whether you want it or not, you can always cancel it later. All pre-cruise purchases are fully refundable if you cancel before the cruise begins.
If the price is lower, you can cancel and rebook the add-on with no penalty up to 48 hours before your cruise date.
To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean’s web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.
If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.
A weekend cruise is short and seems to ends just as it starts, but they’re exactly what many people that have never cruised before tend to book.
According to Royal Caribbean Group executives, the market for people that have never gone on a cruise before has been growing at a rate of 16% year over year.
The company told investors recently that short cruises are an important entry point for new-to-cruise customers, and Utopia of the Seas has been the vector for attracting even more of those customers.
“Caribbean bookings have been strong with Icon and Utopia continuing to perform well above expectations,” said Naftali Holtz, Chief Financial Officer for Royal Caribbean Group.
With such focus on a short cruise, I went back on Utopia of the Seas to try it out again.
I took my wife and daughters on a weekend sailing that departed on Friday and returned on Monday, booking connecting balcony rooms.
Here’s what you should consider before you decide on a short cruise.
The saying “better than being at home” holds true for the reasons to book a weekend cruise.
The best thing about a cruise that begins on a Friday and ends on a Monday is the convenience factor.
With the weekend taking up most of the itinerary, you can minimize the amount of days off from school or work you need to take.
In my case, I can have the kids skip work on a Friday, but still make it in for school on Monday morning. For most other people, a weekend cruise means less days out of the office than a week-long one.
There’s a good chance the fare for a 3-night cruise will cost less than a 7-night cruise, and that’s attractive to most people.
Anyone on a tight budget may gravitate towards a short sailing in order to save money. Granted, the cost per night may be more on a short cruise, but it’s still relatively inexpensive.
Plus, that low price tag makes it easier to bring friends and family. It seems there’s always a wedding, quinceanera, or bachelorette party on a weekend sailing.
Also, Royal Caribbean isn’t wrong that a short sailing is a great introduction to cruising.
New cruisers are usually tepid about committing to a week on a ship because they’re unsure if they’ll like this vacation, worried they’ll get seasick, or think they’ll be bored.
A quick few days is easier to manage, and it’s attractive because you get to give a cruise a try without a lot of risk.
To that point, the cruise line is also stacking short cruises with visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas so first-timers have no sea days.
There are a few realities of a short cruise worth considering before you pick it out.
By definition, the nature of this sailing is that it’s only a few nights and it will feel like it’s over before you know it.
With just a few days onboard combined with a port visit every day, it leaves little time to “see it all” on the ship, and this is compounded by the fact Royal Caribbean has giant Oasis Class ships sailing these short cruises.
Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas have more things to do see, eat, and do onboard than you can in a week, let alone a weekend.
I’m lucky enough to have sailed on Utopia a half dozen times, but I hear all the time from people they didn’t get to see everything because of how limited their time was aboard.
I feel it takes a day or two to get fully into “cruise mode” where you settle into life on a cruise ship, and that basically means the cruise is over before you know it.
Another issue is the cost. While the overall cruise fare is probably going to be cheaper than a longer one, the per-night cost tends to be much more.
It cost me $1,723.54 for two people in an oceanview balcony cabin. That means I paid $3447.08 for two connecting rooms for my family. That cost is on par with a weeklong cruise on other ships.
As an example, a 3-night Utopia of the Seas in a balcony cabin over July 4th weekend, costs $841.23 per person. But a 7-night cruise on Harmony of the Seas over the same week costs $1659.96 per person.
The per night cost, is actually cheaper on Harmony. And that difference grows dramatically if you opt for a smaller and older ship doing a 7-night sailing.
Speaking of costs, you’ve got to factor the cost of flights and transportation into your vacation budget, and those flights might be more expensive than your three nighter.
Ideally, a weekend cruise is best for those that can drive to the port easily. But if you’re going to fly down for it, you’ll need to incur the cost of airfare, hotel, rental car, food, and more. Definitely don’t even think about flying down the same day the cruise begins.
One more potential issue with a weekend cruise is you’re only ever going to The Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean would tout this fact as a plus, given how popular it’s private island is among everyone. While this is true, there’s simply no alternatives if you want to mix it up if you’re taking a weekend cruise from Florida.
To be fair, there are 3-night cruises that sail from Los Angeles, and four-night cruises from Tampa, or Galveston, and those do offer sailings to Mexico instead.
I had a great time on Utopia of the Seas for the weekend, but it greatly helps that I live so close to make it very convenient.
My recommendation for a new cruiser is to go with a 7-night voyage instead so there’s a mix of sea days and port days, and you get more variation in where you sail to. Plus, nearly all of Royal Caribbean’s cruises around the Caribbean visit Perfect Day at CocoCay too.
However, I know how attractive it is to hop on a cruise ship for the weekend and getaway from it all. If the numbers from the cruise line are any indication, more and more people are doing just this.
The biggest downside to a short cruise is how quickly it comes to an end, leaving you little time to try to squeeze everything in.
It’s refreshing that Royal Caribbean puts some of its biggest and newest cruise ships on 3- and 4-night cruises, but it’s a struggle to do everything you wanted to.
Pros and Cons of a short weekend cruise
✅ Low risk option
✅ Cheaper than a week
✅ Less days off work/school
❌ Cruise is over before you know it
❌ Expensive if you add airfare & hotel
❌ No itinerary variation
Nonetheless, it’s great to get away for a few days and be on a cruise ship than not. And for first timers, there’s a good chance they experience it, love it, and come back again for more.
If you’re going to take a 3-night cruise, plan your time accordingly so you can maximize every minute.
A member of the Trump administration made a bold warning to foreign flagged vessels, including cruise ships, regarding avoiding paying taxes.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick appeared on Fox News on Wednesday talking about how U.S. President Donald Trump wants to abolish the Internal Revenue Service. He then went on a tirade about how cruise ships, super-tankers, and foreign produced alcohol don’t pay taxes.
“None of em pay taxes…this is going to end and those taxes are going to be paid,” Secretary Lutnick said.
He then pointed out how large ocean going vessels are all flagged in different countries, such as Panama or Liberia, in an effort to avoid federal income tax.
$CCL $RCL | Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said President Trump’s goal is simple—abolish the IRS and “let all the outsiders pay.” He even pointed to cruise lines not paying taxes as an example.pic.twitter.com/2sXbMucD2p
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) February 20, 2025
The statement instantly sent cruise line stock prices down, with Royal Caribbean Group’s stock down about 9% for the day on the Nasdaq exchange.
While no one disputes the fact the ships are foreign flagged, Secretary Lutnick is missing the bigger picture surrounding taxes and what cruise lines pay.
Federal income tax is one tax, but there are many others that cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, pay in large amount.
The major cruise lines have their headquarters in the United States. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line all have offices in Florida, where they employ thousands of Americans in their offices and across the country. They pay payroll taxes as well as a variety of fees.
Those fees include port fees, with just over 30 million passengers sailing through U.S. ports in a given year. As an example, Alaska alone adds $250-300 per person to a sailing in port fees.
According to Cruise Lines International Association, cruise lines pay nearly $2.5 billion in taxes.
Plus, CLIA points out the halo effect the cruise industry has, which amounted to $65 billion in meaningful economic contributions to the US economy in 2023.
“You ever see a cruise ship with an American flag on the back?” Lutnick said.
Modern cruise ships simply aren’t built in America, because the law has made it nearly impossible.
In 1886, U.S. President Grover Cleveland signed the Passenger Vessel Services Act into law to protect American jobs. Among the regulations this law added, for a ship to qualify to be flagged by the United States, it must be made at a U.S. shipbuilding facility, owned by an American company and staffed by an American crew. All the officers must be U.S. citizens and 70% of the crew must be at least resident aliens (Green card holders).
With that one exception, for the last 50 years, American shipbuilders have not riveted together a single cruise ship that fulfills the requirements set forth in 1886.
The only U.S flagged ships operating within the United States are river and coastal cruise lines that are quite small and extremely expensive. And Norwegian Cruise Line has Pride of America, which operates in Hawaii.
Following World War 2, the United States added strong protectionist legislation meant to preserve the maritime industry, but it actually had the reverse effect. Many shipyards domestically closed, and the few left are only focused on military work that rely on government paid contracts to ensure there is a profit.
You’ll find most cruise ships built in shipyards in Europe or Asia. In fact, all of Royal Caribbean’s ships have been built in one shipyard or another in Europe over the years.
According to Commander Don Goldstein, Retired United States Coast Guard, American shipyards are not equipped with the experience building modern cruise ships, nor do they have the capacity or supply chain to assemble cruise ships.
Even if you wanted to convert a Royal Caribbean ship to a U.S. flagged one, it’s impossible once again to U.S. law.
Coast Guard regulations provide that a U.S.-built vessel must be assembled entirely in the United States and all “major components of the hull and superstructure” must be fabricated in the United States.
The Coast Guard’s policy through a number of precedents, has determined that a “component” must exceed 1.5 percent of the vessel’s steelweight to be considered “major.”
The comments about the cruise industry prompted speculation about what would realistically happen, if anything.
Vince Ciepiel with Cleveland Research thinks the most plausible “tax” would be to raise port fees for U.S. ports, similar to what Greece and Mexico have alluded to.
“Taking a quick look at port passengers, the U.S. sees just over 30M in passengers travel through U.S. ports (the two largest being Miami over 7M and Port Canaveral near 7M). If the U.S. government were to impose an additional ~$30 fee (not anchored to this guess, we welcome any feedback here) on passengers, that would raise about $1B in tax revenue,” he explained.
He believes if that scenario did materialize, the added taxes would be passed along to consumers, “An incremental $1B in price hikes on what is like $40B of ocean cruise industry revenue touching U.S. shores would be equivalent to a 2.5% price hike, which again does not seem that material/could probably easily be passed on to the consumer.”
I really like the food you can find around Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas, and there’s a clever hack I’ve begun to embrace.
There are a few different spots around Perfect Day at CocoCay where you can get lunch or just a snack, and it goes well beyond just burgers and hot dogs.
As part of the major makeover the island got when Royal Caribbean poured $250 million into it, they also increased their food game substantially.
Almost immediately, guests started coming up with fun ways to make the food even better, including at the ice cream station.
Once I saw a few people doing this hack, I had to try it out myself.
At either Skipper’s Grill or Chill Grill, there’s a soft service ice cream machine. Crew members will serve you as much of it as you like.
There’s no cost to the ice cream or anything else in this hack, so let the kids go at it!
It’s similar to what you’ll find on your cruise ship near the pool, and most people get their ice cream in a cone by default.
However, the hack here is to stop by the dessert station first.
Grab two chocolate chip cookies and then go to the ice cream station and ask them to dispense the ice cream directly onto the cookie.
Put the second cookie on top, and you have your own ice cream sandwich!
It tastes as good as it looks, and I like that the ice cream helps soften up the cookie a bit.
This is a fun and customizable treat, and it’s the perfect way to cool down in the Bahamian heat.
Admittedly, it gets messy quickly, especially because the crew member wasn’t holding back with the amount of ice cream she served.
While it may not top a Cookiewich (because it’s not totally frozen to begin with), it’s the next best thing.
You can also re-create this hack back on the cruise ship in the Main Dining Room.
The kids menu has ice cream and chocolate chip cookies as dessert options each night that can be ordered.
A variation on this is to get the ice cream dispensed onto a plate, and then use the cookies to either scoop it up or spoon smaller amounts of ice cream onto the cookie to keep it manageable.
Another idea is to forgo the cookie all together and grab a water cup and have the ice cream poured directly into the cup. No cone or mess, and you can travel more easily with it.
If ice cream isn’t your thing, you’ll find other fun desserts around CocoCay.
As previously mentioned, there are a few different restaurants included in your cruise fare around the island.
Both Chill Grill Skipper’s Grill have cookies, brownies, and fruit too.
A real hidden gem among the desserts is at the Snack Shack.
While there’s no ice cream at the Snack Shack, they do have funnel cake and it smells as good as it tastes.
Funnel cake is served hot, and it’s an ooey gooey mess but so good.
If you happen to buy admission to the Coco Beach Club, I think their rum cake is heavenly.
You’ll definitely smell the rum before you taste it, but it’s about the best rum cake I’ve had.
There’s also gelato and couple of cakes to sample here too.
This got me thinking about other ways to make the complimentary soft serve work better.
Most ships have an ice cream machine on the pool deck, usually just outside the Windjammer buffet.
If you have a beverage package, bring your Coca-Cola Freestyle cup that comes with your drink package purchase to the Main Dining Room, Windjammer, or anywhere else they serve ice cream.
Order a scoop of vanilla ice cream to put into your cup to create an ice cream float. This works great with Fanta Orange or Coca-Cola.
Another cruiser told me they like to take a scoop of ice cream and add it to their coffee from the Windjammer.
If you want to spice it up, try to make your own version of Affogato, which is an Italian dessert coffee.
You’ll need to combine espresso, ice cream, and a shot of liqueur. If you have a drink package, this should be something you can order in the Windjammer and then grab the ice cream too.
Royal Caribbean has opened up bookings for its newest cruise ship, Legend of the Seas.
While the cruise line advertised the official opening for bookings is on Thursday, Feb. 20, in practical terms, it’s open for bookings now.
In case you missed it, Legend of the Seas will be the name of the third Icon Class ship, and Royal Caribbean revealed details about the ship yesterday.
This is going to be one of the biggest cruise ships in the world, coming in at 250,800 gross tons, and be able to accommodate up to 7,600 passengers.
Unlike the two ships that came before it, Legend will begin sailing in Europe before coming to the United States. Here’s what to know about the first sailings.
You could book the first sailing across two different inaugural voyages.
Legend of the Seas will welcome paying guests for the first time when she departs Barcelona, Spain on August 2, 2026.
The first sailing is a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise that will visit France, Spain, and Italy.
It’s a significant move to have a new ship start in Europe, as Royal Caribbean has shied away from this for a while.
According to Royal Caribbean, it’s an opportunity to answer demand from Europeans who have wanted an Icon Class ship, “our guests across Europe have been asking for for an Icon Class ship to to be based there. And this was the right time to bring it,” said Royal Caribbean Chief Marketing Officer Kara Wallace.
Legend remains in Europe through October, until the ship departs on a 13-night transatlantic sailing.
The new ship heads to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where the first sailing is a quick 3-night sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
There are additional 6- and 8-night Caribbean voyages through April 2027.
If you’re looking to book a cruise on Legend, it’s not going to be a cheap deal.
New cruise ships tend to come with higher prices, and Legend of the Seas is no exception to that trend.
In the first hours the new bookings are available to book, the least expensive sailing on the vessel available to book was the 3-night inaugural sailing from Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 11, 2026.
It starts at $918.99 per person, including taxes, fees, and port charges.
Of course, that 3-night cruise is an outlier, as it’s the only short sailing.
The next least expensive sailing is one of the last cruises in Europe before Legend transitions to North America.
The September 20, 2026 7-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain starts at $1,567.67 per person, including taxes, fees, and port charges.
Not surprisingly, the most expensive sailing is a 6-night western Caribbean Christmas voyage that begins on Dec. 20, 2026.
There are 28 stateroom categories, including some truly amazing suites with eye-opening prices.
There’s some sticker shock with the price for the top two suites on Legend of the Seas, but that’s been a trend since Icon of the Seas first went on sale.
At the upper end of the spectrum, the Royal Loft Suite will cost $115,972.40 for two people on that aforementioned Dec. 20 sailing.
That gets you 2,088 sq. ft of living space, which is the most luxurious suite within the Royal Caribbean fleet.
On the same cruise, the incredible Ultimate Family Townhouse that spans three decks, a slide, white picket fence, and movie room will cost you $110,232.40 for two people.
These two suites are the biggest suites on the ship, with enough space and features to rival some homes. Plus, they come with the cruise line’s top perks that include almost everything in your cruise fare and provide front of the line access in many cases.
Suites are always a splurge and expensive, but they also come with tremendous benefits.
Other suites are priced comparatively lower, but like all cabins on a brand new ship, you’ll pay a premium for that privilege.
Don’t expect fares for Legend of the Seas to come down anytime soon.
Royal Caribbean Group executives said as much during a recent earnings call, when they forecasted the trend of cruise prices rising to continue through 2025 and beyond.
“Demand for 2025 is strong with book load factors in line with prior years and at higher rates, allowing for further pricing and yield growth as 2025 bookings continue to ramp up,” said Royal Caribbean Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz during an earnings call with investors.
Your best price strategy for cruising on Legend of the Seas is too book quickly before prices go higher.
A recent analysis of Royal Caribbean cruise prices indicate fares start rising about 10-12 months before the sailing begins.
Pricing trends show fluctuations in price a year before the sail date, but once you reach that 10 month window, prices only tend to trend upwards.
An added benefit to booking a cruise so far in advance is you might be able to reprice the cruise if there are price drops later.
Residents of select countries can utilize Royal Caribbean’s price match option, assuming they take the time to track their cruise fare price.
Royal Caribbean is ready to do something it’s never done before: bring back a retired cruise ship name to honor its next new vessel.
The cruise line confirmed a not-so-well-kept secret that it will name its third Icon Class cruise ship, Legend of the Seas.
The name was previously used for one of the cruise line’s Vision Class ships, launched in 1995.
That ship would have been dwarfed by the new Legend of the Seas, as the original was only 70,000 gross tons and had a capacity of about 2,000 passengers. The new cruise ship will be able to handle about 7,000 passengers when at full capacity and is 250,800 gross tons in size.
In 2017, Royal Caribbean sold Legend of the Seas to a cruise line now known as Marella Cruises, where it was renamed Marella Discovery.
Being the third Icon Class ship, Legend of the Seas is going to follow-up on the tremendous success of the world’s largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas. The Icon Class has been nothing short of incredible for Royal Caribbean.
These ships have been a hit with passengers and critics alike, as it’s set a new standard for what a megaship can offer.
Not only did Royal Caribbean share the ship’s name, but we also have details on when she’ll begin offering cruises.
Royal Caribbean will begin sailings on Legend of the Seas in the Mediterranean first, and then transition to Florida.
Beginning in August 2026, Legend of the Seas will offer 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, Spain. (Originally the cruise line said it would be July, but the the new first sailing is in August 2026).
Legend will visit ports of call in France, Italy and Spain, that include historical significance and beautiful landscapes.
The inaugural Legend of the Seas cruise will be on August 2, 2026, which is a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona. It will visit Palma De Mallorca, Spain, Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy, Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, and Naples, Italy.
Here’s a breakdown of the of inaugural European sailings:
After the summer cruising season concludes, Legend will move to her new homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Beginning in November 2026, Legend of the Seas will offer 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Southern Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades.
The first sailing of Legend in Fort Lauderdale will be on November 11, and it’s a 3-night voyage that visits just Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas
In addition, Legend of the Seas will remain in Fort Lauderdale until at least April 2027.
You’ll be able to start booking sailings this week. Officially, it goes on sale Thursday, Feb. 20, but expect bookings to open up on Tuesday as an early start.
Naming this new cruise ship Legend of the Seas is significant because of what the name means literally, as well as to the company.
“The Icon Class as a name really sets a really high bar…so we needed a third name that really fit with that,” Kara Wallace, Royal Caribbean’s chief marketing officer, told Royal Caribbean Blog in an exclusive interview.
“Legend is, not only fitting of the class, but an homage to everything that came before it.”
Introducing a third Icon Class ship is something Royal Caribbean can’t wait to debut, because of all the success Icon of the Seas has had so far.
“This ship truly has lived up to all of the hype and then some.” Wallace said.
Bringing Legend to Europe first is something Royal Caribbean is doing to match what its customers have been clamoring for, “our guests across Europe have been asking for for an Icon Class ship to to be based there, and this was the right time to bring it,” Wallace explained.
“The ship will come straight from delivery into Europe, and it’s taking now what is going to be a legendary ship and bringing it to legendary destinations.”
Royal Caribbean didn’t share many details about what will be different about Legend, but Ms. Wallace suggested it won’t be a carbon copy of Icon or Star either.
“We’ll tweak things as we learn and as we go along to make them both fresh, interesting, but also deliver on the experiences that our guests are asking for and will continue to do that on this ship alike,” Wallace said. “Things like entertainment and shows, theming on some venues will constantly be adapted for market, and we’ll reveal them in the coming months.”
A change that has been leaked already is that the Supper Club will have a Hollywood theme to it.
Icon of the Seas had a New York theme, and Star of the Seas’ version will have a Chicagoland theme.
One thing you won’t see is Legend being slightly bigger than Icon or Star of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider has previously said each Icon Class ship will not be a little bit bigger than the previous one.
“Star will not be a foot bigger. It will be 1198ft long. The third ship in the icon class will also be 1198ft long,” he said during an interview held on Icon of the Seas.
While the ship’s name and homeport are news, the ship has been under construction for months.
The first piece of steel was cut in January 2024 for Legend of the Seas. When the steel cutting ceremony is held, it marks the official start of construction.
Then in October 2024, the keel was laid and the ship is being assembled as we speak.
Other milestones include floating out, and delivery.
Ever since Icon of the Seas started wowing passengers, the new ship has exceeded even the company’s highest expectations.
According to Ms. Wallace, the ship has set a new benchmark for guest satisfaction—not just within the cruise industry, but across all of hospitality.
“It’s delivering at the highest levels of guest satisfaction that we’ve ever seen across our brands, across the industry, and across all of hospitality,” Wallace said. “And that’s really by far and wide margin.”
Royal Caribbean re-imagined what a cruise ship could be when it designed Icon of the Seas, calling the ship a “white paper” design because everything was conceived without any pre-existing ideas. Wallace highlighted how the ship’s vibrant design and innovative features created excitement from the moment it launched.
“I think it was highly anticipated when it came to market,” she said. “Last year, the demand for it was off the charts, creating excitement through its colors, its vibrancy, its energy.”
One of the most talked-about features is Surfside, a neighborhood designed specifically for families, offering a space where they can “stay and play all day.” The AquaDome, a stunning architectural space with breathtaking exterior views and immersive entertainment, has also left a lasting impression.
Meanwhile, the ship’s water park, Thrill Island, brings an unprecedented level of excitement to the cruise experience.
“It wasn’t one slide, two slides—it’s multiple slides,” Wallace said. “The slide experiences are great, and that theming and experience runs throughout a whole neighborhood.”
Icon’s connection to the water was also one of its primary goals that the ship delivered on, offering expansive sea views throughout the ship.
“I think the flow of the ship, of Icon Class, in terms of bringing the sea to the ship and the expansive views edge to edge, is something that we haven’t experienced on a class of ships like this yet,” she noted. “And certainly what that did for the promenade experience and the inclusion of The Pearl—one of my favorite things to do is watch TikTok or Instagram videos when people first board Icon and they just see the magnitude of the ship. That first impression with The Pearl—there’s nothing like it.”
Wallace also emphasized that social media has played a major role in Icon of the Seas’ success, as guests eagerly share their experiences online.
“We’re seeing that in the popularity—not just in how people are experiencing the ship, but how they’re also reliving and posting their experiences all over social media,” she said. “It is truly a jaw-dropping, showstopping, stunning ship when you see it in person.”
A key factor in Icon of the Seas’ success is its focus on families of all kinds. From young kids to teens, multi-generational groups to extended families, the ship offers an unmatched variety of accommodations and entertainment to suit every type of traveler.
“We are a family brand,” Wallace said. “When we think about families, it’s every single type of family. It’s families with young kids, it’s families with teenagers, it’s extended families, multi-generational families. And when you think about Icon, it truly does have something for all of those different types of families.”
Taking a long weekend vacation on the Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship is the perfect escape, and I think paying more for a balcony room was worth it.
In February, I went on Utopia of the Seas for a 3-night cruise to The Bahamas and I paid $1,723.54 for a category 4D balcony room instead of a cheaper inside room.
I went with a balcony because I wanted the natural light and extra space you get with the outdoor veranda, but the room itself was bigger than I expected.
We stayed in room 9282, which is on deck 9 and a short walk from the aft elevators.
I’m no stranger to Utopia, having sailed on her already a half dozen times. Picking a room on deck 9 meant we were mostly equidistant to the public decks, but closer to the Royal Promenade than the pool decks.
Royal Caribbean doesn’t let guests access their cabins until 1pm, but that’s only a few hours of waiting (assuming you board the ship as early as possible).
I prefer to be close the elevators rather than pick a room down the hall. While I can appreciate the view you have on the back of the ship, I prefer the convenience of being near an elevator.
All cabins on Utopia of the Seas are opened with your SeaPass card, which uses RFID technology. This means just tapping your card against the reader instead of inserting the card in the door.
Because Utopia is a new ship, the rooms look about as contemporary as you’d expect in terms of aesthetics.
I had just stayed in a balcony room on an older and smaller ship a few weeks prior to this, and the differences in the room are rather stark.
I found this balcony room on Utopia to feel bigger and more open than the one on Enchantment of the Seas. Of course the decor looks more dated on Enchantment, but that ship was built in the 1990s.
As you walk into the room, there’s a vanity on your left and a couch on the right.
The vanity has a desk, chair, and mirror. It also has a number of USB outlets.
Royal Caribbean has been steadily increasing the amount of USB outlets in its cabins, in addition to standard electrical outlets. More people are bringing more devices with them on vacation.
I really think you could stay in a room on Utopia of the Seas and not need to bring a USB or power extender with you and not feel constricted with how to keep everything charged.
The couch is rather large, but doesn’t open up into a bed.
While I’d like to tell you I used the couch for leisurely afternoon naps or to sit and have a conversation with my wife, but in reality, the couch was the destination for so many of our belongings.
Bags, dirty laundry, pool towels, and souvenirs all seem to end up on the couch one way or another.
On either side of the couch are two rather large closets.
There’s an impressive amount of storage space in this room, something I missed having on Icon of the Seas.
You’ll also find the room’s safe in one of the closets.
My wife and I each took one closet, and that was more than enough room for our clothes on a short cruise. There was even an entire set of drawers opposite the closet we never used.
The drawers offer lots of storage access as well. Eventually Utopia will stop doing just weekend cruises and move onto longer sailings. When it does, rest assured there’s enough room for all your clothes.
The king size bed is next to the balcony in this particular cabin. Keep in mind every room alternates whether the sofa or the bed is near the balcony.
The bed can be split into two upon request by your stateroom attendant.
There’s a nightstand on each side of the bed, and both have a lamp with one power outlet and one USB C outlet.
I cannot stress enough how convenient it is to have a power outlet near the bed so you can keep your phone charging at night while you use it from the comfort of being in bed.
Nearly all other ships don’t have an outlet near the bed, so I have to plug it in back at the vanity.
Opposite the bed is the TV. It’s a nice flatscreen television that’s big enough to see from the bed.
The one feature it doesn’t have is the ability to stream videos from a smart device or computer. Some other recent Royal Caribbean ships have that feature, but not Utopia.
While I would have liked the ability to cast a YouTube video or Office episode to the TV, the truth is I rarely watch any TV on a cruise.
Below the television are a set of hooks you can use to hang up items.
This is useful for keeping hats, umbrellas, or anything else lightweight off the floor (or couch, in my case). It’s a case of Royal Caribbean noticing all the cruise cabin hacks calling for magnets to be brought onboard and providing something on their own.
Moving out to the balcony, a sliding door provides access and you’ll find two chairs and a table.
Each chair has a foot rest, which is a really nice idea.
It’s not a spacious balcony, but there’s enough room for two people to comfortably sit or stand and enjoy the view and ocean breeze.
While I’m comfortable enough booking an inside cabin, paying more for a balcony is such a nice luxury. Being able to pop outside on a whim is lovely.
I don’t spend nearly as much time out here as I should, but I really like going out in the morning to gauge the weather, or enjoying a sunset at night.
Back inside our room, the bathroom was bigger than I expected.
The bathroom has a mirror, sink, toilet, and shower. I was impressed that a standard stateroom has both a shower wand and shower head.
While you can’t use both at the same time, it’s a feature usually only found in a suite.
Overall, I was quite pleased with my room selection. We booked the connecting balcony room next to it for my kids to stay in, providing the ultimate family cruise hack that I rely on so often.
I didn’t set any records for the cheapest cruise cabin price, but this is a brand new cruise ship. New ships are just going to cost more, period.
Because I live about an hour by car from Port Canaveral, being able to quickly drive to the port and hop on a cruise ship for the weekend is worth the higher cruise fare compared to having to fly or travel a longer distance to another ship.
Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas is well-known for offering cruise ship passengers a great time, so should you pay extra for its exclusive beach club?
Perfect Day at CocoCay is divided up into different areas, including the Coco Beach Club that offers an elevated beach day experience and comes with an admission cost.
I’ve been to the Coco Beach Club a few times over the years, but hadn’t gone recently because of rising costs and other areas competing for my attention.
Royal Caribbean has done such a good job with the places around the island that have no cost, so it seemed almost unnecessary to pay for a beach club.
But when I was able to find a great deal on Coco Beach Club passes and even a cabana during a recent sale, I thought now was the right to return and see what it’s like now.
In describing the Coco Beach Club, think of it like a less crowded, slightly more upscale beach day.
Located between Chill Island and South Beach, Coco Beach Club is a short 10 minute walk from where your ship docks.
You can buy a day pass for every person, or rent a cabana, which comes with admission for its guests. Kids are allowed, and welcome, within the club.
The exact price of a day pass varies, but the average price without a good sale going on is $200 per person or more.
That cost gets you into the club, lunch at its restaurant, and access to the beach or heated infinity pool.
There’s also a pastry cart and coffee that’s complimentary, but all your other drinks within the club will cost extra. If you have a Royal Caribbean drink package, your benefits work here too.
There are beach chairs and some chairs by the pool, and it’s all first-come, first reserved.
There are a few beds near the pool, and these are the most highly coveted spots within the Coco Beach Club. Some guests will pretty much run in as soon as their ship docks to reserve one for the day. You can expect them all to be reserved by 9am.
When you check-in, you’re greeted with a cool towel and welcome drink.
If you booked a cabana, your cabana attendant will escort you to them. Otherwise, guests with a day pass can walk in and pick a spot.
There are two types of cabanas inside the Coco Beach Club.
The standard beach cabanas are adjacent to the main beach, and it’s a secluded area just for you to enjoy.
Each cabana has plenty of space, including a couch, four loungers, a hammock, and a few chairs too.
A cabana rental includes floating mats, snorkel gear, Bluetooth speaker, ceiling fan, and of course the cabana itself that provides shade.
Your cabana attendant will come by periodically to see if you’d like any food or drinks brought over.
The other type of cabana are the floating cabanas, which are split up into two sections.
These are some of the biggest and most expensive cabanas you can rent.
Each cabana is situated over the ocean on a floating pontoon, so it looks like something out of the Maldives or Bora Bora.
Their layout is similar to the beach cabanas, but they’re bigger, have a shower, and even your own slide to go right into the ocean.
Without a doubt, the cabanas are lovely and a great place to spend your day, but they’re going to be the most expensive cabanas on the island.
I’ve seen prices recently for a floating cabana of more than $5,000 for each one. That’s a really high price.
A beach cabana will cost less, but it’s not uncommon to see both types of cabanas well north of $3,000.
I love the seclusion and service you get with a cabana. Without a doubt, it’s the most relaxing way to spend a day with someone else bringing everything you need.
If there’s one thing I don’t like about the cabanas it’s the lunch situation, where your cabana attendant delivers the food to your cabana.
On the surface, this is a great idea. But I don’t like the pacing of the service and more importantly, your food becomes an instant magnet for a flock of seagulls who will dive bomb your table the second you step away.
I’ve gotten around this issue by requesting to dine at the restaurant instead, but the staff sometimes seems resistant to the idea.
If Royal Caribbean got something right about the Coco Beach Club, it’s how you can spend your day in the club.
The infinity pool is located behind the beach, and it’s easy to hop between both.
The entire premise of this area is that you’re paying for the exclusivity. There’s no crowd of people to contend with and try to find a chair.
You can easily roll in at lunch time and still find plenty of chairs around the beach.
The pool area doesn’t have much seating, and it’s probably something I’d love to see them improve on.
The infinity pool is heated, and that means it’s always the perfect temperature. This is such a boon when I visited in January and February and the ocean was chilly.
I like how large the pool is, with plenty of space. No matter which day I’ve been to the club, the pool never felt crowded.
Over on the beach, you’ll find lots of space to spread out.
Something really neat is each beach chair has a flag you can put up to indicate you’d like to have service from a waiter.
The beach has beautiful white sand that is manicured each day, and there’s enough room for leisurely walks.
Fences on both sides of the beach club ensure only beach club guests have access to it.
While the beach may be the primary selling point of paying to come into the Coco Beach Club, I think the restaurant is a close second.
Included in your fare is a restaurant (it has no name, just Coco Beach Club restaurant) where each guest can go for lunch.
You’ll need to make a reservation for a table, and you can do that when you enter the club. Some people make reservations on the ship at the Shore Excursion desk, but I’ve never done that.
It’s a sit down meal, but everyone is in their bathing suits. Nonetheless, it’s a standout meal.
There’s a choice of lobster, filet mignon, salads, and more.
I was very impressed with the food, and I really think the steak served here is better than the steak on your ship.
And yes, they’ll serve you as much of the food as you like so you can get a second serving.
If there’s a gripe about the food in the Coco Beach Club from guests, it’s not about the food served, but rather, the food not served.
CocoCay is well-known for its great fast food choices, but you won’t find all the choices of the Snack Shack inside the club, as you would at the extra cost adults-only area, Hideaway Beach.
Our cabana attendant was able to bring us mozzarella sticks, but I don’t think they’re available to day pass guests otherwise. You can certainly walk out of the club and over to the Snack Shack in about 5 minutes, but it requires leaving the grounds.
My advice is make an early reservation for lunch and don’t miss out on it.
The appeal of paying for the Coco Beach Club is for you can enjoy a less crowded day with enhanced options than anywhere else around Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Kids can come too, and you’re going to get significantly better food, great service, and a less crowded day overall.
It reminds me a bit of first class seating on an airplane, where the core experience is the same, but those within the club feel a little more special.
I love the heated pool and restaurant, and I’d book the day pass just for those. Plus, the cabanas are so beautiful, especially those floating cabanas.
The real reason not to book the Coco Beach Club is the price you’ll see when you go to buy a pass.
I spot checked prices for a few upcoming cruises, and it’s not cheap.
Cabana prices start at about $3,000 for one, and while that includes admission for up to eight guests, it’s still quite pricey.
You’re not going to be disappointed once inside the Coco Beach Club, as it offers a very serene and relaxing day.
There’s no DJ or loud music, but everyone is there to enjoy a fun day in the sand, water, and around.
While you don’t need to pay for the Coco Beach Club in order to have a really good time on Perfect Day at CocoCay, it’s a lovely way to spend it too.
Ideally, you’ll nab a good deal on admission like I did for my visits. But that’s not always practical.
Ultimately, I’d recommend paying to go to the Coco Beach Club if you truly value exclusivity and being somewhere uncrowded. If that describes you, then I think even the price tag can be justified.
👍Less crowds
👍Best food available on the island, rivaling specialty restaurants
👍Heated pool
👍Bragworthy cabanas
👍Great service
👍Floating mats included
👍Towels provided
👎Expensive
👎Very little seating near the pool
👎Not as many casual food choices as Hideaway Beach
Hope you are having a great weekend. Here is all of this week’s Royal Caribbean cruise news.
Royal Caribbean added a new California home port.
More cruise ships will be sailing from the west coast, as the cruise line announced it will expand to a new homeport in San Diego.
The new west coast deployments were released this week, including two ships from Los Angeles.
Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video—What I wish someone told me about food on a cruise— and don’t forget to subscribe here.
Did you know you could take advantage of a price drop?
It’s not very well known, but there is a mechanism for price adjustments, but there are a few caveats.
The ability to re-price cruises has saved me thousands of dollars over the years, and it’s the best way to get a cruise deal.
A lawsuit was filed by a passenger against Royal Caribbean after an accident at their private island.
The lawsuit alleges the person was on a jet ski excursion and was hit by a jet ski operated by the tour operator.
She claimed she suffered four spinal fractures and extensive internal injuries and is seeking $5 million in damages.
I may have scoffed at these extra costs at one point, but now they’re always in my cart.
Royal Caribbean trots out new options all the time, and a few have resonated with me as must-buys.
Part of the fun of going on vacation is splurging and enjoying your time, and I have four I always look to buy first.
I love looking back at the way cruise ships used to look, especially before the age of the megaship.
Cruise ships have evolved a lot, including what they and passengers looked like. Mirroring society, cruise ships have moved on with the times and they looked a lot different 40 years ago.
While ships were big for their time, they definitely had a few key differences compared to ships today.
Royal Caribbean’s first ever beach club is actively moving forward in its construction.
Located in Nassau, Bahamas, the cruise line is working to open something it’s never done before with a pure land operation that goes beyond a private island experience.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will open in December 2025 and is sort of like Royal Caribbean’s owned and operated shore excursion available exclusively for its customers.
The cruise line doesn’t share many construction updates, so we took our own photos.
We have a new update on how progress is going on the ground, thanks to photos taken of the construction site on February 15.
With the grounds cleared of debris and previous buildings, active construction is underway to lay the foundations of the beach club’s structures.
According to Royal Caribbean, site construction began in September 2024 after the official ground breaking in April.
The beach club is located on a 17-acre piece of land on the western end of Paradise Island near Nassau. It’s basically across from where all the cruise ships dock in Nassau.
Guests can get to the beach club via a new water taxi system that Royal Caribbean is also working on, which departs from the pier.
Admission is all-inclusive, which is another first for Royal Caribbean to offer such an amenity.
A day pass will include:
The beach club has beaches and pools, three swim-up bars, seven beach bars, and more than 40 cabanas.
There are going to be different zones to encapsulate the vibe they want to provide passengers.
Party Cove, Family Beach, and Chill Beach all offer a different take on how to spend your day.
According to Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, approximately 1 million guests are expected to go into the Beach Club in the first full year of operation.
Mr. Bayley also said tickets will go on sale sometime in April 2025.
About 2,000 people will be able to purchase a pass each day.
No word yet on how much it will cost to go in, but day passes to other Nassau resorts aren’t cheap.
The nearby Atlantis resort charges $255 for adults to use its Aquaventure waterpark.
Margaritaville Beach Resort charges $125-145 per adult, and Baha Mar resort has a $160 admission cost for its waterpark.
None of those day passes are all-inclusive.
Royal Caribbean wants to offer something no other cruise line can compete with, and not just in Nassau.
All cruise lines have struggled for years with low guest satisfaction rates in Nassau because of a lack of things to do its customers want.
Building a beach club for cruise passengers by the cruise line is a way Royal Caribbean hopes to solve that problem.
Moreover, their strategy is to combine a beach club day with a day at its award winning private island in nearby Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The idea is to offer visits to places no other land resort or cruise line can possibly top.
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