Everything That’s Included and What’s Not on a Royal Caribbean Cruise!

When looking for the next perfect vacation, its easy to overlook a cruise, there are so many cruise lines, ships, and destinations to discvovers but what we love about cruising the most is that for one fixed price you can visit multiple destinations and only need to unpack your bag once. 

So today we are sharing with you everything thats included in your Royal Caribbean Cruise, no matter the ship, or destination, heres everything you need to know!

Whats going on everyone my name is Josh  and we go beyond our backyard experiencing new places, stepping outside of our comfort zone and checking off our bucket list.

Whether your new to cruising or new to Royal Caribbean we've put together this detailed guide of everything that is covered in your cruise fare plus what is going to cost extra.

If you have any questions at all about Royal Caribbean or cruising in general make sure to leave them in the comment section below and we will answer them. If you also would like help in planning your next cruise we offer vacation planning services at no additional cost just send us an email or fill out our form below.

Like all cruises, your cruise fare covers the cost of your stateroom and daily service by a stateroom attendant and each ship in Royal Caribbeans fleet will have several different categories to choose from and these will be the biggest factor in how much your cruise cost overall. 

On Royal Caribbean you'll have a choice of Inside (no windows), ocean-view (some type of window), a balcony, and from there suites.  Inside staterooms tend to be the cheapest while balconies and suites tend to be the most expensive. 

On Royal Caribbean Cruises, all guests will have Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and late night bites included with their cruise fare.  In the main dining rooms on Royal Caribbean you'll experience a rotation multi course meal for dinner that changes nightly.  Royal Offers three types of dining experiences for dinner, Anytime Dining, Early seating, or late seating. Anytime allows you to choose when you want to eat for dinner maybe thats 5:30 the first night and maybe 7 the next.  With Early and Late Dining, youll arrive at the dining room the same time each night, and you'll also have the same service team as well.

Main dining room is typically open for breakfast daily and lunch on select days which tend to be sea days.

Royal Caribbean also offers casual locations that are complimentary for you to enjoy like the Solarium Bistro, a buffet that opens for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner and depending on the ship even more places for to eat.  We just came off the Oasis of the Seas in January of 2023 and tried their new Mexican fast causal restaurant and found it to be really good. So good that it had a long line every day it was open.

Sorentos is probably the most talked about pizza joint at sea! Typically open from lunch till about 2 or 3 am you can get some of the best pizza at sea.  You can even make special requests and its all included in your original cruise fare.

You can also find hotdogs and sausages on select ships near the boardwalk or seaplex areas.

Each morning you can order breakfast from the card in your room.   From coffee, tea, milk and orange juice, to bagels, toast, cereal, and muffins.  The continental spread is great for those looking to have an easy start to their day and avoid the crowds at the buffet. This is something I think many people tend to overlook because they think theres a charge but there isn't and its included.  We take advantage of this almost daily on our sailings.

Royal Caribbean has the largest fleet in the ocean with several different classes of ship and several ships within each class but rest assured that almost all the activities on board are complimentary.  We always enjoy game shows and trivia, or depending on the class of ship, we like to rock climb and ride the waves on the florider. Every ship has gym if you are looking to burn a few extra calories and some have a sports court for pickle ball, dodgeball, and many other activities. All this is included in your original cruise fare!

For those that are more active, the rock wall and floriders are all also included and on Royal Caribbeans Oasis Class ships, you can enjoy the Abyss, and aqua theater all at no additional cost.

What if I have Kids? What about them?

Not to worry! Royal Caribbean offers kids, tweens, and teens clubs to meet the needs of all their families sailing onboard and they are also included in the price of your cruise fare.

Nightly entertainment on a royal Caribbean cruise is also included, from broadway style shows to comedians and magicians.  Typically there are two shows each night to accommodate guests at each dinner time. Usually an early and late show. So don't fret you'll have an opportunity to see the great entertainment that Royal Caribbean has to offer. You'll also find live entertainment at many other locations throughout the ship featuring musicians and singers to comedians. 

One of our favorite included activities is the silent disco or hush party and again its all included.

For us, we typically enjoy dinner early, because like Ive said before, we are old souls in young bodies, then we will head to the theater for a show and then to one of the lounges or other entertainment venues to catch a game show like match your mate. Typically we will enjoy a cocktail or two and these will be extra.

Alcohol, soda, and specialty tea and coffees are an additional charge on all ships.  Water, basic tea and coffees, lemonade, and some juices are included in your cruise fare.  Royal Caribbean offers a drink package that includes everything which typically runs about $60 to $75 per person per day. While that is a lot it can save you money if utilized properly.

There is a lot that is included on Royal caribbean especially by comparison to its many competitors. Of course, there are several upcharges on royal caribbean that you should be aware of.

The first is gratuities, these help to compensate the crew and cover your stateroom attendant and the staff in the main dining room. The charges are per person and per day, so the more people in your stateroom the more these will be. You should know that you can have these charges added to your cruise fare before setting sail, and in a way making it part of your cruise fare so that you aren't charged daily throughout your cruise. The current rate for a standard stateroom is $16 per person per day and in suites its $18.50 per person per day.  You can also always tip extra for great service!

Whats great about a cruise is that it takes you to many destinations while only have to unpack your suitcase once but unfortunately the shore excursions at that destination will cost extra. Each port has a range of different excursions from cheaper guided walking tours to more expensive unique experiences. The pricing also may vary at each destination. Most people book excursions directly through the cruise line as this is the safest way to ensure you make it back to the ship before it debarks.  You can also book excursions with third party operators for a much cheaper price but keep in my mind the ship wont wait for you if your excursion runs late.

If your looking to share your exciting experience with friends back home with social media its going to cost you extra. WIFI on royal caribbean does cost extra but it is by far the most reliable and fastest at sea now that they have begun using starlink. You can often times find deal on the Royal Caribbeans Cruise planner page for wifi.  We like that its one price for the whole week and uncapped where other cruises lines charge you by the minute. We stongly suggest you purchase the wifi package before boarding otherwise you'll pay more once on baord.

If your looking to have a special night out with a glass of wine and a great meal, you may want to consider dining in one of many specialty restaraunts that Royal Caribbean offers. These restaraunts typically charge a flat cover charge that includes appetizer, entree, and desert and in many cases, especially if you ask nicely, they will aloow you to order additional items.  These cover charges can range from a low as $25 to $75 per person.  IF you have the drink package most wines, beer, and cocktails will be covered during your meal. 

These specialty optiosn typically are a steahouse, itailian, seafood, and japanese restaurnts. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online through the royal caribbean cruise planning app before setting sail.

One of our favorites is Jamie Olivers Italian Restaurant and on that we would suggest you skip is the Chefs Table.

Need a message or want to relax in the Thermal Suites? This will cost extra, and vaires by service.  We dont typically recommend the thermal suites on most royal caribbean ships, but if you are looking to take advantage of a special service, check back daily for discounts or deals. We often found that we can ask for 10 to 20 percent off a service and they will gladly due it.  The worse they can say is no. Which if you start to walk away they often will then do a discount.

The casino onboard will cost extra but there are times when you can get free drinks in the casino if you dont have the drink package and are playing the slot machines. Youll also have to pay extra for things like laundry and photo packages.

And thats everything that is included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise and what will cost you extra.  If you have questions about Royal Caribbean or planning your next cruise make sure to leave them in comment section below and we will answer them.  And remeber that we can help you plan your next royal caribbean cruise at no additional cost to you through our travel partner Goldgell Getaways.