Disney cruiser, first time Royal

[calliest]

One of the many differences is the booking of excursions and on board stuff. With Disney, you book/reserve an excursion or cabana and it comes out of your shipboard account once you're sailing. The convo with a Royal agent indicated that I'd have to pay upon booking a cabana. (Is this accurate?) Which is fine...however, I'd like to know if the cabanas are still available before I select a date. It seems like there are a lot, unlike CC cabanas. Unfortunately the pricing seems to vary for everything depending on sailing so I have no idea what to expect for drink packages, upgraded dining packages, etc. Very excited to check out Icon and PD@CC. Is there any way to find out pricing for extra purchase items for particular sailings? My Royal agent didn't seem thrilled with answering so many questions during a shop call. Any help would be appreciated! We are 2A/3C (will be 12, 10, 8 at time of sailing in 2024)

 

[RAD]

Yes, RCCL will want you to pay for all the extra's from excursions, WiFi, drinks, etc at the time you book them. If you change your mind and chance before your cruise starts (sorry don't remember how early it has to be) you get your charge credited back to your form of payment.

 

[sam_gordon]

Royal will also change pricing for the "extras" based on availability. I think cabanas on CC START at ~$800-900 and could go up to $2-3k. Drink packages (alcohol) base price (if you see it at this price, it's about as low as it will go) is at least $60 and probably $75 (and that's per person, per day). NA drinks should run $20-30pppd.

Yes, you will need to pay for everything at time of booking (that item).

 

[DizneyNutz]

One of the many differences is the booking of excursions and on board stuff. With Disney, you book/reserve an excursion or cabana and it comes out of your shipboard account once you're sailing. The convo with a Royal agent indicated that I'd have to pay upon booking a cabana. (Is this accurate?) Which is fine...however, I'd like to know if the cabanas are still available before I select a date. It seems like there are a lot, unlike CC cabanas. Unfortunately the pricing seems to vary for everything depending on sailing so I have no idea what to expect for drink packages, upgraded dining packages, etc. Very excited to check out Icon and PD@CC. Is there any way to find out pricing for extra purchase items for particular sailings? My Royal agent didn't seem thrilled with answering so many questions during a shop call. Any help would be appreciated! We are 2A/3C (will be 12, 10, 8 at time of sailing in 2024)

Each individual sailing prices vary and no there is no way to know the prices of Cabana, water park, etc. until you are booked unless you find someone who is booked on the sailing you are interested in and have them check for you. Plus you can book items in your cruise planner after your cruise is booked. They frequently have sales on items and if you find whatever you booked at a lower price you can always cancel and rebook at the lower price. Just be cautioned if you have a cabana booked and they are close to selling out and you find a better sale price, you should call and have them do it for you. If you cancel yourself to rebook it may get snatched up that quickly. A group of us are booked on the Icon Maiden Voyage and can't wait! Happy Cruising.

 

[calliest]

Hey all. Thanks for responding. Such a different experience already than booking with Disney. I decided to go with 2 connecting Ocean view balcony rooms on deck 12. Cat CB. it says 1 sleeps up to 3 and the other up to 4. I wonder what the bedding configurations are like?

 

[CM Dad]

Royal will also change pricing for the "extras" based on availability. I think cabanas on CC START at ~$800-900 and could go up to $2-3k. Drink packages (alcohol) base price (if you see it at this price, it's about as low as it will go) is at least $60 and probably $75 (and that's per person, per day). NA drinks should run $20-30pppd.

My wife and I are booked on the inaugural Icon cruise in January 2024. Overwater cabana is currently quoted at $3799. Deluxe beverage package is $83.99 pp/pd + gratuities

 

[Weedy]

Also unlike Disney you have to make reservations for the shows. Your booking window for this is 45 days prior to your cruise.
You can post on here or join a FB group and ask for a show schedule for your cruise so you can get an idea of the shows.
It will be listed online once your Booking window opens but it’s nice to have a plan before that.
This is from the Wonder

 

[Weedy]

Royal still does the daily printed new letter (Navigator) It’s called The Compass you can google it lots of people post so you can get an idea of what happens besides the main shows.
Just google the name of your ship/Compass/ and destinations

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

One of the many differences is the booking of excursions and on board stuff. With Disney, you book/reserve an excursion or cabana and it comes out of your shipboard account once you're sailing. The convo with a Royal agent indicated that I'd have to pay upon booking a cabana. (Is this accurate?) Which is fine...however, I'd like to know if the cabanas are still available before I select a date. It seems like there are a lot, unlike CC cabanas. Unfortunately the pricing seems to vary for everything depending on sailing so I have no idea what to expect for drink packages, upgraded dining packages, etc. Very excited to check out Icon and PD@CC. Is there any way to find out pricing for extra purchase items for particular sailings? My Royal agent didn't seem thrilled with answering so many questions during a shop call. Any help would be appreciated! We are 2A/3C (will be 12, 10, 8 at time of sailing in 2024)

Get an online account and the app with your sailing loaded. Then you'll be able to see what's available for your cruise, see how much things are, and make your bookings that way.

There's also not the PIF requirement, or even a specific date as far as I could see, before you can book things.

Yes, you pre-pay for everything you book ahead of time. Most things will have a 24-hour cancellation for refund, and it's easy to cancel. Once on board, if you cancel something, it goes immediately into your onboard account as a "Refundable Credit," so it will offset any onboard charges or be refunded to your credit card after the cruise if you don't use it all.

They run sales on stuff like drink packages, dining. Book now, but keep checking and if you get a better rate, you can cancel and re-book at the better rate (you can cancel online, I don't think you can cancel in the app).

Pro-Tip: They kept telling me to book shows as soon as I got on board, but I discovered that I could book on the app way in advance of our sailing. Check back regularly.

Also look at booking The Key. This allows you lunch in the main dining room on embarkation day (limited menu from Chops Grille); you can drop your carrryon bags with them at the MDR and they take them immediately to your room; sit-down breakfast on debarkation day; priority boarding; better seating at shows (you still have to make your reservation on the app). It also includes internet package. We thought it was worth it for the lunch alone--getting onboard was crazy-chaotic, and it was so nice to sit down somewhere quiet to eat lunch, log on to ship's wi-fi, etc. By the time we finished eating, our rooms were ready.

 

[sam_gordon]

Also unlike Disney you have to make reservations for the shows. Your booking window for this is 45 days prior to your cruise.
You can post on here or join a FB group and ask for a show schedule for your cruise so you can get an idea of the shows.
It will be listed online once your Booking window opens but it’s nice to have a plan before that.
This is from the Wonder
View attachment 731502

Depends on the ship/show whether you need reservations.

Royal still does the daily printed new letter (Navigator) It’s called The Compass you can google it lots of people post so you can get an idea of what happens besides the main shows.
Just google the name of your ship/Compass/ and destinations

Depending on the ship/cabin attendant, you may need to ask for a printed copy to be delivered in your room.

 

[Trip planner]

I just booked my first RCCL semi-last minute for spring break this year. Now that my kids are a bit older, I thought they would appreciate some of the activities that seemed to be geared towards older kids compared to DCL. I do feel the prices are not as transparent as DCL and I definitely feel a bit nickel and dimed, especially for the Coco Key day (I thought more was automatically include).
The prices for excursions and beverages have changed three times since I have booked. I reserved everything we definitely want and plan to watch prices for other things in case it drops to a price I think is worth it.
I do like that I have it paid for in advance. The ginormous bill we got at the end of our 7-day sailing with DCL was not an uplifting way to end our vacation. Conversely when we went to Alaska, I booked all third party excursions and even though we spent way more money on excursions we never had the shock of one huge bill.

 

[RAD]

One additional thing I noticed on RCCL ( and Celebrity ) is that they had a live band playing at shows, not canned recorded music.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

One additional thing I noticed on RCCL ( and Celebrity ) is that they had a live band playing at shows, not canned recorded music.

The entertainment offerings were so much better on RCCL (Allure of the Seas). The live music in the lounges was so good. and there's such a variety. Seems like everything on Disney other than the one big show on each ship is an after-thought.

 

[peacefrogdog]

Depends on the ship/show whether you need reservations.

Depending on the ship/cabin attendant, you may need to ask for a printed copy to be delivered in your room.

The theatres for shows are not huge such that no seat is bad. I think the need for reservations is most beneficial for,large parties who have to sit together. Getting seats for 2 without a reservation for example was easy for us on Wonder.

re cruise compass - can also get it at guest services. Just have to ask for one

 

[cutigerlady]

I'm booked on the Icon over July 4th week in 2024 and the cabanas start at $1899 for Chill Island, South Beach or Water Park. The beach club cabana is $3899 and the over the water cabana is $4299. I can say in general, the prices of these cabana is dependent on which ship you are on and time of the year. For example, Oasis class ships the prices are higher than the smaller ships. Holidays are higher than non peak times. The cheapest I've seen the over the water cabana (post COVID) is $1799 on Independence/Liberty 3/4 nt cruises. On the Oasis the week of Thanksgiving prices are $1299-$2699. Unfortunately, unless your agent has someone booked on the cruise you are interested in, they won't know what the pricing looks like/availability until you pay the deposit.

 

[mrs. magoo]

We have never sailed on a Disney ship but the family we sail with has and their kids much prefer Royal. My kids are much older but they have a blast on board. The first cruise we booked adjoining rooms. The attendant made up one room with 4 beds for my kids and then they my husband and I had a king (beds pushed together). The beds come out of the ceiling. We usually purchase the drink package on Black Friday - that is typically the cheapest it will go but you can always rebook if it goes cheaper. The drink package was where my friends much preferred Royal - my youngest was not 21 and he got the non alcoholic package that allowed him fancy coffees (not starbucks), non alcoholic drinks, soda and water on Black Friday I booked it for 15.00 a day.
On Coco Cay you do not need a cabana. We were there with 2 other ships and there were still plenty of chairs in the shade. We did not pay for any extras - the kids swam in the pool and at the beaches. All their drinks were included so it was great fun. The youngest turns 21 next year and he has requested a repeat of the cruise so he can partake of the drink package for real. I have already warned the older ones that they are on the hook for purchasing their own drink packages.