Royal Caribbean News Round-Up: August 6, 2023

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend! Now it is time to sit back, relax, and catch up on all the Royal Caribbean news from the week!

Is it worth spending extra to get a balcony room instead of an inside cabin?

There are a few reasons you should (and shouldn’t) spend extra for a balcony, but the debate of an inside vs balcony room is something a lot of cruisers have to consider.

From cost, to living space, to comfort, there are a few things to think about before choosing your stateroom category.

Royal Caribbean News

New RCB Video: Is a cruise ship cabin on a low deck bad?

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 — Is a cruise ship cabin on a low deck bad? — Plus 1 to break — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 507th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, talking about how to have an easier disembarkation process.

Matt reviews some tips a reader shared with how to have an easier time on the final morning of the cruise when it’s time to get off the cruise ship.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Cruise ship cabins that get booked up quickly

Among all the kinds of cruise ship cabins, there are a handful that seem to get booked quicker than the rest.

These specific categories of staterooms are highly sought after because they are limited in quantity and offer a certain advantage, whether extra space or lower price. Think of them like a “secret menu” at a restaurant, where only a few really know about them.

Check out this list of the cruise ship cabins that get booked up quickly so you might be able to book them first!

How cruise ships got so big

If you look at cruise ships today, it’s amazing how enormous they are, especially when you consider how ships have evolved.

From ocean liner roots, cruise ship design has changed over the decades, and the ships of today are considerably different in their approach to sailing from passenger ships a century ago.

You might be interested to know how the biggest cruise ships today ended up getting to this point from the liners of the past.

Inside cabin tour from Navigator of the Seas

What does a small and windowless cabin look like when you actually stay there?

Elizabeth recently sailed on Navigator of the Seas and stayed in an interior cabin, which was the cheapest available option. 

She managed to get the price down to just $162 per person, per night and shared what her room looked like that she used for seven nights.

Guide to RoyalUp

Need the inside scoop on how to bid for a stateroom upgrade?

RoyalUp is Royal Caribbean’s stateroom bidding program that allows passengers to bid on higher cabin categories before their cruise, offering the chance to “win” an upgraded stateroom.

Before you bid, check out our RoyalUp tips and tricks for what to expect.

Why booking a last-minute cruise isn’t always a great idea

While booking a last-minute cruise might seem like a great way to sneak in a cruise vacation, there are serious drawbacks to waiting to book.

There are a variety of considerations you should be aware of before booking a cruise in the final weeks or months prior to a cruise beginning that could make a last-minute cruise booking a problem.

From fewer choices to a higher overall vacation cost, here are the reasons why you shouldn’t book a last minute cruise.