Cruise Check-In Process

If you haven’t cruised before, or it’s been a while since your last one, the check-in process might feel a little overwhelming. It’s not difficult, but there are a few things you need to do ahead of time so that embarkation day goes as smoothly as possible. I’ve found that the best way to avoid stress is to get everything ready before check-in even opens. That way, when it’s time to complete the process, I’m not scrambling for documents or trying to remember which card I want on file.

Get Organized

Before check-in opens, I make sure I have a document with all the important details in one place. Personally, I have a Google Doc that has all of our family's information saved that we need for each trip we take. This makes the process go a lot faster because I can just copy and paste everything instead of hunting for information. Here’s what I include:

• Full name and date of birth for each traveler

• Passport number, issue date, and expiration date

• Credit card number, expiration date, and security code for the card I plan to have on file for charges back to the room

• Arrival and departure flight numbers and times

• Emergency contact information

• Cruise loyalty program numbers 

Having everything prepped ahead of time means I can check in quickly instead of wasting time searching for a passport number while trying to keep an eye on my email for the confirmation.

When and How to Check In

For Royal Caribbean, check-in opens 45 days before your cruise at midnight in the time zone of your departure port. For Carnival, check-in opens 14 days before your cruise at midnight, eastern time. You’ll get a reminder email letting you know that check in is open, but it usually doesn’t arrive until later in the morning. I set a phone reminder for the moment check-in opens so I don’t forget.

You can check in through the app or website for Royal Caribbean, but only the website for Carnival. If you’re using the app, make sure you have access to your saved travel information on the same device so you can easily copy and paste everything.

Check-in remains open until about two days before departure, but it’s best to complete it as soon as possible so you can choose your preferred check-in time at the port.

Onboard Expense Account

As part of the check-in process, you’ll need to set up your onboard expense account. This account is used for all purchases on the ship since your cruise with be cashless while you are on the ship. During check-in, it will ask you to link a credit card or debit card. Any purchases you make on board will be charged back to your room (you can keep track of this in the app or on one of the channels on the TV) and then will be charged to your card at the end of the cruise (no need to close out your card).

If you need to change the card on your file, you can do that on the app up until the day before you cruise, or at guest services on the ship once you're onboard. You can change your card up until the last night onboard. If you used a debit card, you can expect the cruise to put a authorization hold on your card. You can also bring cash and payoff your room charges at guest services as you go, up until the last night. 

Security Photos

Some cruise lines allow you to upload a security photo ahead of time. Royal Caribbean, for example, requires a passport-style photo taken against a plain background. The easiest way to do this is to take a photo in front of a white wall with good lighting. Carnival, on the other hand, takes your photo when you arrive at the terminal, so there’s nothing you need to do in advance.

Health Questionnaire

For Royal Caribbean, an additional step in the check-in process is completing a health questionnaire. This is required for all guests and must be submitted within 24 hours before boarding. The easiest way to do this is through the Royal Caribbean app, where you’ll be prompted to answer a few basic health-related questions. Completing this in advance can speed up the embarkation process and help avoid delays at the terminal.

Choosing a Check-In Time

When checking in, you’ll select an arrival time at the cruise terminal. These time slots are usually in 30-minute increments between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM. Each has its benefits:

• Earlier check-in (10:30 AM – 12:00 PM) means you can board the ship sooner, grab lunch on board, and take care of things like dining reservations, spa bookings, or kids’ club registration before they fill up. The downside is that your stateroom might not be ready yet, so you’ll need to carry your bags around for a bit.

• Later check-in (1:30 PM – 3:30 PM) is usually less crowded, and by the time you board, your stateroom will likely be ready. The downside is that you have less time to explore the ship before departure.

Policies on early and late arrivals vary by port. Carnival at Miami let us board early even though our check-in time was later, while Carnival at Galveston had a separate line for early arrivals that actually took longer.

Boarding Passes and Luggage Tags

Once you’ve checked in:

• Royal Caribbean: Your SetSail Pass will appear in the Royal Caribbean app, and you can add it to your phone’s digital wallet, just like a plane ticket. The last four numbers under the barcode on your pass should match your stateroom number, so it’s worth double-checking.

• Carnival: You’ll need to print your boarding pass and bring it with you or have a screenshot on your phone.

Before your cruise, you’ll also need to print your luggage tags. These are similar to airline baggage tags and help ensure your bags make it to your stateroom. Each checked bag needs two tags:

1. A personal luggage tag with your contact information in case your bag gets misplaced.

2. The cruise-issued luggage tag with your stateroom number so the crew knows where to deliver your luggage.

Once your luggage arrives in your stateroom on embarkation day, you can toss the cruise luggage tags—they’re only needed for that first day.

Muster Drills

Before the ship departs, everyone on board must complete the muster drill, which is a safety briefing. You can watch the muster video in the app before embarkation day. If you do it in advance, you’ll only need to check in at your assigned muster station once you board, which takes just a few minutes. If you forget, you can still do it on the ship, but it’s one more thing to remember on embarkation day.

Is The Drink Package on a Carnival Cruise Worth It?

One thing that you seem to always hear about on cruises is the "drink package." It seems to be the order is you book your cruise, you book your excursions, and next comes the drink package. Each cruise line does their drink package a little differently, so whether or not you should get the drink package depends on which cruise line you're sailing with. This post is about Carnival's drink package, but if you want to know more about Royal Caribbean's drink package, then go to this post here. 

What is the Carnival Drink Package

There's actually several "drink packages" on a cruise. When people wear the shirts that say "watch out! I bought the drink package," they're actually referring to the Cheers Package, AKA the alcohol package. There's also the Bottomless Bubbles Package, AKA the soda package. The alcohol is the most expensive package, and the non-alcohol will be the least expensive package. For this post, if I'm talking about a drink package, I'm talking about the alcohol package, which Carnival calls their Cheers Package. 

What do you get in the Carnival Drink Package

The drink package is basically everything you'd get for the non-alcohol package (sodas and juices) plus alcohol. You get 15 drinks, up to $20 per drink . If you're wondering, most drinks at the bars will be under the $20 limit, but the specialty drinks are usually over the $20 limit. That doesn't mean you can't order a $20 drink, it just means you have to pay the difference for anything over $20. So if you have the drink package, a $21 drink will cost you $1 Bob. 

One thing you don't get in the drink package is full bottles of wine for dinner. You can either buy it buy the glass, or you can save 25% on a bottle of wine. 

How much is the Carnival Drink Package

Sadly, it depends. Carnival changes the price for each cruise. But, the price is always per person, per day. What this means is that you could go on 2 cruises and pay $85/per day on the first cruise and $100/per day on the second cruise. 

In general, people say you need to drink about 7 drinks a day to break even on the drink package, since drinks are about $14 each. 

Why the Carnival Drink Package is NOT Worth It

People always assume you must get the drink package, and I mostly disagree. In fact, I think that most cruisers would actually save money if they didn't get the drink package. You don't have to have the drink package in order to drink alcohol. If you don't have the drink package, then you just charge the drinks back to your room like you would at a hotel. The drink package is just you pre-paying for alcohol, but it's not the only way to drink alcohol on the ship. 

Don't get the drink package if your itinerary has a lot of port stops

You can't use your drink package when you're not on the ship. Let's take a hypothetical scenario of where your itinerary is Day 1 embarkation day, Day 2 port day, Day 3 port day, Day 4 sailing day, Day 5 disembarkation day. Let's assume your embarkation day boarding time is 3pm, you're at each port from 8am to 4pm, and your disembarkation time is 8am. In this scenario, you only have from 3pm - 12pm to use your drink package on Day 1; from 4pm - 12pm to use your drink package on Days 2 and 3; all day to use your drink package on Day 4; and you're probably not going to even drink on Day 5. 

Given that you have to drink 7 or more drinks each day to break even, how much do you think you can drink during these time periods? While 7 drinks might be totally feasible for you one day, can you do it 5 days in a row? What about if you add in drinking at a Margaritaville or Senor Frogs while you're off the ship? Can you drink 7 more drinks in the evening after drinking ashore? With a schedule like this, it's cheaper to pay per drink, even if you're drinking 5 drinks a day. 

Don't get the drink package if the other adults in your room don't drink

If one person 21+ in a room gets the drink package, everyone 21+ in that room has to get the drink package. This is to keep people from sharing drink packages. 

So if you're traveling with someone who chooses to be sober, or who just isn't a big enough drinker to drink the 7 drinks a day to justify a drink package, maybe you shouldn't get the drink package. Because the room rate is now two drink packages, it may just be cheaper for you to pay per drink. 

Don't get the drink package if you only drink wine

Each person 21+ can bring one bottle of wine with them in their carry-on bag. If you only drink wine, and you bring a bottle of wine with you, then there's no need to buy a drink package. You can take the bottle of wine to dinner and the server will pour you your own wine each night. My personal favorite thing to do is to bring a silicone wine glass and sit out on my balcony in the evenings and enjoy a glass of wine. 

And if anyone else you're traveling with is 21+, they can bring their own bottle of wine too. So that hypothetical person from my last point who doesn't really drink can bring your 2nd bottle of wine in their carry-on bag for you, and now you have 2 bottles of wine to last you a whole trip. 

Don't get the drink package if you think you might get seasick

Literally, there is nothing worse than being drunk or hungover on a  moving ship. If you think the room spins when you lay down on land, just imagine what it feels like when your bed is bobbing in the ocean. I'm not saying you can't drink during your cruise if you get seasick, but I am saying that you more-likely-than-not won't be drinking the 7+ drinks a day you need to break even with a drink package if you're already feeling queasy. 

Why the Carnival Drink Package IS Worth It

Get the drink package if your itinerary has a lot of sailing days

Let's take a hypothetical scenario of where your itinerary is Day 1 embarkation day, Day 2 sailing day, Day 3 port day, Day 4 sailing day, Day 5 disembarkation day. Let's assume your embarkation day boarding time is 11am, you're at each port from 8am to 4pm, and your disembarkation time is 9am. In this scenario, you have from 11am - 12pm to use your drink package on Day 1; all day to use your drink package on Day 2; from 4pm - 12pm to use your drink package on Day 3; all day to use your drink package on Day 4; and you're probably not going to even drink on Day 5.

Given this itinerary, it's a lot easier to fit 7 drinks per day on most of the days. This makes it more likely that you'll at least break even on the drink package for most days. 

Get the drink package if you don't plan on getting off at the port stops

On the other hand if you have no interest in getting off the ship, then you will be able to use your drink package all day even if your itinerary has a lot of port stops. The drink package is still available for you to use even when your ship is docked at a port. 

Get the drink package if you get it on sale

Prices go up as you get closer to the cruise, but you aren’t charged until right before the cruise so if it goes on sale, you can always cancel the drink package at the higher price and then buy it at a lower price. At $14 a drink, the drink package breaks even at only 4 drinks if you can get it for less than $56 a day, or 5 drinks for less than $70 a day. 

This makes it a lot more price efficient to get the drink package if you get it on a good sale. 

Get the drink package if you're a heavy drinker

If you are a heavy drinker, especially for cocktails or mixed drinks, then the drink package is probably a better deal for you. If you know that you can drink all day at the beach and then get on the ship and keep drinking, and then wake up and do it all again for several days in a row, then this is a good deal for you. Some people fully embrace "vacation mode" and are surprised at the drink bill at the end of their cruise. If you think you'll get close to breaking even on the package (and remember, this is easier to get if you get in on sale), then you might as well get the drink package. 

Should you get the drink package for your Carnival cruise

Personally, I think most people don't need the drink package, unless it's on a really good sale. 

My husband and I did the math, and for us it's just not worth it. I bring a bottle of white wine in my checked bag and have that at dinner, and my husband brings a bottle of sangria in his checked bag, and I have that in the room in the evenings. My husband will have the occasional 2-3 pina coladas during the day and we usually will share a bucket of beer on a sailing day. And we aim to make sure we have the opportunity to go somewhere all inclusive at our port stops. For us, that's enough alcohol for a trip and is significantly less than the almost $100 per person per day cost of the drink package. 

Is The Drink Package on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Worth It?

One thing that you seem to always hear about on cruises is the "drink package." It seems to be the order is you book your cruise, you book your excursions, and next comes the drink package. Each cruise line does their drink package a little differently, so whether or not you should get the drink package depends on which cruise line you're sailing with. This post is about Royal Caribbean's drink package, but if you want to know more about Carnival's drink package, then go to this post here. 

What is the Royal Caribbean Drink Package

There's actually several "drink packages" on a cruise. When people wear the shirts that say "watch out! I bought the drink package," they're actually referring to the Deluxe Beverage Package, AKA the alcohol package. There's also the Refreshment Package, AKA the soda and bottled water package. Last, there's the Classic Soda Package, AKA the soda package. The alcohol is the most expensive package, and the non-alcohol will be the least expensive packages. For this post, if I'm talking about a drink package, I'm talking about the alcohol package, which Royal Caribbean calls their Deluxe Beverage Package. 

What do you get in the Royal Caribbean Drink Package

The drink package is basically everything you'd get for the non-alcohol packages (sodas, juices, bottled water) plus alcohol. You get unlimited $14 and under drinks. If you're wondering, most drinks at the bars will be under the $14 limit, but the Bionic Bar and specialty drinks are usually over the $14 limit. That doesn't mean you can't order a $15 drink, it just means you have to pay the difference for anything over $14. So if you have the drink package, a $15 drink will cost you $1 Bob. 

One thing you don't get in the drink package is full bottles of wine for dinner. You can either buy it buy the glass, or you can save 40% on a bottle of wine. 

Another thing you don't get in the drink package is Starbucks drinks. There are non-Starbucks coffee cafes on board, and you can get those premium coffees for free if you have the drink package, but there is no drink package option that includes Starbucks. This means that no matter what drink package you get, if you're a big Starbucks person you'll be paying for each drink you get from there. 

How much is the Royal Caribbean Drink Package

Sadly, it depends. Royal Caribbean changes the price for each cruise. But, the price is always per person, per day. What this means is that you could go on 2 cruises and pay $70/per day on the first cruise and $100/per day on the second cruise. 

In general, people say you need to drink about 7 drinks a day to break even on the drink package, since it covers you up to $14 a drink. 

Why the Royal Caribbean Drink Package is NOT Worth It

People always assume you must get the drink package, and I mostly disagree. In fact, I think that most cruisers would actually save money if they didn't get the drink package. You don't have to have the drink package in order to drink alcohol. If you don't have the drink package, then you just charge the drinks back to your room like you would at a hotel. The drink package is just you pre-paying for alcohol, but it's not the only way to drink alcohol on the ship. 

Don't get the drink package if your itinerary has a lot of port stops

You can't use your drink package when you're not on the ship. Let's take a hypothetical scenario of where your itinerary is Day 1 embarkation day, Day 2 port day, Day 3 port day, Day 4 sailing day, Day 5 disembarkation day. Let's assume your embarkation day boarding time is 3pm, you're at each port from 8am to 4pm, and your disembarkation time is 8am. In this scenario, you only have from 3pm - 12pm to use your drink package on Day 1; from 4pm - 12pm to use your drink package on Days 2 and 3; all day to use your drink package on Day 4; and you're probably not going to even drink on Day 5. 

Given that you have to drink 7 or more drinks each day to break even, how much do you think you can drink during these time periods? While 7 drinks might be totally feasible for you one day, can you do it 5 days in a row? What about if you add in drinking at a Margaritaville or Senor Frogs while you're off the ship? Can you drink 7 more drinks in the evening after drinking ashore? With a schedule like this, it's cheaper to pay per drink, even if you're drinking 5 drinks a day. 

Don't get the drink package if the other adults in your room don't drink

If one person 21+ in a room gets the drink package, everyone 21+ in that room has to get the drink package. This is to keep people from sharing drink packages. 

So if you're traveling with someone who chooses to be sober, or who just isn't a big enough drinker to drink the 7 drinks a day to justify a drink package, maybe you shouldn't get the drink package. Because the room rate is now two drink packages, it may just be cheaper for you to pay per drink. 

Don't get the drink package if you only drink wine

Each person 21+ can bring one bottle of wine with them in their carry-on bag. If you only drink wine, and you bring a bottle of wine with you, then there's no need to buy a drink package. You can take the bottle of wine to dinner and the server will pour you your own wine each night. My personal favorite thing to do is to bring a silicone wine glass and sit out on my balcony in the evenings and enjoy a glass of wine. 

And if anyone else you're traveling with is 21+, they can bring their own bottle of wine too. So that hypothetical person from my last point who doesn't really drink can bring your 2nd bottle of wine in their carry-on bag for you, and now you have 2 bottles of wine to last you a whole trip. 

Don't get the drink package if you think you might get seasick

Literally, there is nothing worse than being drunk or hungover on a  moving ship. If you think the room spins when you lay down on land, just imagine what it feels like when your bed is bobbing in the ocean. I'm not saying you can't drink during your cruise if you get seasick, but I am saying that you more-likely-than-not won't be drinking the 7+ drinks a day you need to break even with a drink package if you're already feeling queasy. 

Why the Royal Caribbean Drink Package IS Worth It

Get the drink package if your itinerary has a lot of sailing days

Let's take a hypothetical scenario of where your itinerary is Day 1 embarkation day, Day 2 sailing day, Day 3 port day, Day 4 sailing day, Day 5 disembarkation day. Let's assume your embarkation day boarding time is 11am, you're at each port from 8am to 4pm, and your disembarkation time is 9am. In this scenario, you have from 11am - 12pm to use your drink package on Day 1; all day to use your drink package on Day 2; from 4pm - 12pm to use your drink package on Day 3; all day to use your drink package on Day 4; and you're probably not going to even drink on Day 5.

Given this itinerary, it's a lot easier to fit 7 drinks per day on most of the days. This makes it more likely that you'll at least break even on the drink package for most days. 

Get the drink package if your itinerary includes a stop at a Royal Caribbean-owned port stop

I should clarify from earlier, that you can only use the drink package on the ship and at a cruise line-owned port. For Royal Caribbean, that includes Coco Cay and Labadee. As Royal Caribbean opens their Royal Beach Club in Cozumel and their Perfect Day at Costa Maya, there may be additional port stops that you can use your drink package off of the ship.

So, let's take the hypothetical scenario from my point above. If your trip only has 1 stop, and it's at a Royal Caribbean port, then you can use your drink package every day. With this itinerary, you're more likely to break even on the drink package. 

Get the drink package if you don't plan on getting off at the port stops

On the other hand if you have no interest in getting off the ship, then you will be able to use your drink package all day even if your itinerary has a lot of port stops. The drink package is still available for you to use even when your ship is docked at a port. 

Get the drink package if you get it on sale

Prices go up as you get closer to the cruise, but you aren’t charged until right before the cruise so if it goes on sale, you can always cancel the drink package at the higher price and then buy it at a lower price. I like to use the website RoyalPriceTracker.com to notify me when drink packages or excursions go on sale. At $14 a drink, the drink package breaks even at only 4 drinks if you can get it for less than $56 a day, or 5 drinks for less than $70 a day. 

This makes it a lot more price efficient to get the drink package if you get it on a good sale. 

Get the drink package if you're a heavy drinker

If you are a heavy drinker, especially for cocktails or mixed drinks, then the drink package is probably a better deal for you. If you know that you can drink all day at the beach and then get on the ship and keep drinking, and then wake up and do it all again for several days in a row, then this is a good deal for you. Some people fully embrace "vacation mode" and are surprised at the drink bill at the end of their cruise. If you think you'll get close to breaking even on the package (and remember, this is easier to get if you get in on sale), then you might as well get the drink package. 

Should you get the drink package for your Royal Caribbean cruise

Personally, I think most people don't need the drink package, unless it's on a really good sale. 

My husband and I did the math, and for us it's just not worth it. I bring a bottle of white wine in my checked bag and have that at dinner, and my husband brings a bottle of sangria in his checked bag, and I have that in the room in the evenings. My husband will have the occasional 2-3 pina coladas during the day and we usually will share a bucket of beer on a sailing day. And we aim to make sure we have the opportunity to go somewhere all inclusive at our port stops. For us, that's enough alcohol for a trip and is significantly less than the almost $100 per person per day cost of the drink package. 

Travel Guide | Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas to Western Caribbean

Our cruise on the Carnival Vista was a great vacation, but the overall experience had us considering switching over to Royal Caribbean. I missed the Royal Caribbean ships with all the things to do. We decided to go out of Galveston again just so we didn't have to mess with the hassle of flying to Florida for a cruise. Luckily, we decided to go on another cruise right when they were having a Kids Sail Free and 2nd Adult 60% Off sale, so we got a pretty good deal for this cruise given we were only 5 months out from sailing when we booked it. We then discovered that, after this trip, I would only be 15 nights away from Ryan and I each getting 4 free drinks per day on Royal Caribbean cruises!

Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Review

This was actually the biggest ship I've ever been on, and yet it was only about 8,000 gross tons bigger than the Carnival Vista, yet it felt much bigger. I think the way that Royal Caribbean designs the inside of their ships is what makes them feel better. The best comparison I can think of is how much bigger homes feel when they have an open-concept kitchen and living space compared to separate spaces. Mariner just felt more open and easier to navigate than the Vista.

 

The Rooms on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas

We love to get balcony rooms. I think it's partially because my husband and I are homebodies, so enjoying where we're staying is important to us. But also, traveling with a toddler means you spend a lot more time in your room, and that little extra space goes a long way. Unfortunately, our balcony door was squeaky so we weren't able to utilize it during nap time like we did on our Carnival cruise (Carnival has a door that swings open whereas Royal Caribbean has a sliding door). 

Mariner of the Seas common areas were updated in 2018, but the rooms were not and you could kind of tell because the style of the room looked dated, our door was a pale pink. Our room also felt a little smaller on Royal Caribbean because our Carnival room was able to fit a Pack n Play and a coffee table, but there was no coffee table in our Royal Caribbean room.   

Our room had 2 plugs at the vanity area and 1 plug in the bathroom. There was a phone by the bed, but apparently the plug was behind the wall because we couldn't find a plug behind or near the bed. I was very happy I had brought a European outlet adapter so we were able to have 3 plugs in the bedroom. I was also glad that I brought a portable iPhone and Apple Watch charger bank that could charge our devices on our night stands like what we're used to back home. I had brought a plug-in dusk-to-dawn nightlight for the bathroom plug, but it seemed the outlet only worked when the bathroom light switch was on, which defeated the purpose of the nightlight. 

Eating on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas

Because we were traveling with an almost-two-year-old, the My Time dining made the most sense to us, as it would allow us to keep her normal 7pm dinner time while still getting to eat in a dining room instead of a buffet. This turned out to be a mistake. On our Carnival cruise, we were able to just put our name on the waitlist as we were getting ready for dinner, and a table would usually be ready by the time we got down to the dining room. Royal also had the My Time dining in the same room as the early and late dinners, just on a different floor, whereas on Carnival the My Time dining room was on a different part of the ship than the main dining room.

For Royal Caribbean, we actually had to make reservations before our sail date, and unfortunately by the time I learned this the earliest dinner reservations were 8pm, which is our daughter's normal bedtime. Pushing her dinner to 8 wouldn't be as bad if dinner itself wasn't an hour ordeal. Thankfully, on Day 1 we went to the main dining room and were able to talk to someone who helped us get a reservation for 6:40 every night. This turned out great, as we had the same table and same waiter every night whereas on Carnival we had a different table and different waitstaff each night. This was so helpful for us as after the first night the waitstaff learned our daughter's preferences and would anticipate her needs before we even asked. For example, when your kid is seated they immediately bring out a bowl of diced fruit as an appetizer to help keep your kid entertained while they wait for their entree. Our assistant waiter noticed our daughter only ate the strawberries and that we asked for more strawberries, so every night after that he only brought her a big bowl of strawberries and she was a happy girl. We liked the food we had each night and often tried a two entrees or appetizers. 

We ate most of our breakfasts and lunches at the Windjammer buffet, which was a mistake our first port day. We circled the whole room twice and finally found a seat sharing a giant table with another family, but had to spend more time trying to find a clean high chair. Next cruise, we'll stick with the main dining room for port days since everyone seems to be on the same schedule of eating right before they let us off the ship. On sea days, it wasn't so bad since everyone was on different schedules and their mealtimes were more spread out. I noticed between the breakfast we had at the main dining room seemed to be all of the options given at the Windjammer, just that the Windjammer had more options. But, the Windjammer only had pre-made omelets with ham or cheese, and the main dining room had create-your-own omelets as an option. We got mimosas on the first breakfast at the Windjammer, and both the orange and strawberry mimosas were made with cheap-tasting champagne so we didn't like them. 

We had lunch one day at the Cafe Promenade because they had pizza which is a quick go-to to get our daughter fed. There were also little finger sandwich options if you didn't want pizza. Cafe Promenade is weird because the food in it is free, but it's right across the hallway from a bar that doesn't have free food, so it's hard to know what is free and what isn't. We also grabbed breakfast there too, they just had breads and breakfast sandwiches. The selection was small, but the food was pretty good, it seemed more geared towards coffee and tea drinkers.

On our last sea day, we had lunch at Johnny Rockets. You pay $18 and then can get whatever you want off the menu, but milkshakes cost extra. It is a small room, but it took them forever to find us a clean high chair. We ordered, got my root beer float (so good!) and onion rings (amazing!! great ranch, they need to make fried pickles!!) before we got her highchair. The burgers were good, Ryan said the 12 burger "special sauce" seemed to just be ketchup and Tabasco mixed together. 

 

What to do on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas

Given that we had signed up for The Key, it was easier for us to do activities like the rock wall climbing and Flow Rider since we had reserved times. I volunteered to be the babysitter while my husband was the adventurer doing all the things. 

 

We did the Mini Golf together the morning of our first port day, and it had such a great view as we were pulling into port! I recommend the Mariner Dunes area as a great place for a sail-away view or to watch as you sail into port. The Mini Golf was a cute little ocean-themed course, and was easy for kids to do.

We went to the ice show "Under the Big Top" and really liked it! It's 45 minutes, but the first part is loud and flashy, which scared our toddler. The rink has 2 long sides and 1 short side, and the front row of the 1 short side had a lot of audience involvement. Keep this in mind if you have small children that might be afraid of people running and jumping at them. 

We spent the vast majority of our time in the open-play toddler room. It was huge and had a surprising amount of baby and toddler toys. Our daughter loved to play in here, and we were happy to be able to sit down and relax because she's old enough for independent play. But of course we spent a lot of time playing pretend for her and looking up whether we should buy her favorite pretend food truck toy.

When our daughter was in the paid drop-off child care, we loved the Solarium! It was a much better experience than the adults-only area on our Carnival cruise. It was quiet, kid free, had 2 hot tubs, a good size pool, lots of chairs and even day beds both in the shade and sun, the bar was never packed even on sea days, and there were waiters taking drink orders and occasionally a beer cart would come by. 

5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise Itinerary

Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico

I think this was my first time at this stop. I tried looking up my past cruise itineraries, but Royal Caribbean only saves them for 7 years and apparently I haven't sailed with them in less than 7 years. Yet another reason why I have this blog. My mom told me she's been here on a cruise, and thinks I was with her on it, but I honestly can't remember. The port itself is actually really nice, we saw 2 pools (at least 1 I noticed had a swim-up bar) that seemed free, and several restaurants and a lot of shopping. I honestly think this is one of those ports where you can get by without an excursion just hanging out at the port. The day we were there, we were the only ship so it didn't feel overcrowded at all. We didn't get there until noon and had to leave by 6:30, so it was a short trip. Getting there at that time meant that we were walking through the port at a very hot time of the day, which wasn't ideal. I didn't have time to take photos of the actual port because we were rushing to make sure we made it to the meet up point on time, since a toddler slows us down, but I did grab photos on the way out. 

 Our daughter fell asleep so we carried her trike since we didn't bring the trike backpack

None of the excursions offered through Royal Caribbean seemed like something we'd want to do with our daughter, so we did our excursion outside of the cruise line. We dabbled with this in Belize and really realized that you can get a lot more of your time out of your stop if your excursion is catered specifically to you rather than a group, so we felt like we could do it again. This experience was better than Belize because we had it booked well in advance.

We ended up booking a day at Maya Chan. We paid $79 per adult and $19 for our toddler via PayPal, and got all-inclusive food and drinks plus a free ride to the beach. What's nice is that it's ran by Americans, so there was no communication barrier when booking, and they sent lots of follow-up emails leading up to the day with confirmation of our reservation and information on how to find them on the day of and what to do, so I felt very reassured doing this on our own. 

It was a little intimidating doing it this way because usually if you do an excursion through your cruise, you'll all meet as a group either on the ship or immediately off the ship and then all go to your excursion together, and Maya Chan did a really good job of trying to make it similar to that. They emailed us a map to exit the port (it is a pretty big port) and walk to a meet up spot. The map and instructions were pretty detailed and we felt fairly confident figuring out where to go. Just keep left after the dolphin area, don't continue on into the shops. They say it's a 1/4 mile, but in that heat it felt like half a mile. We were so happy we brought our Doona trike for our daughter, there's no way she could've made it without having to hold her if we didn't bring it. I'm also glad I had a stroller fan attached to it for her, because even though she wasn't walking, she was dripping sweat by the time we got to the meetup. I just wish we brought our neck fans because we were dying pushing her and carrying all our beach stuff in the heat since most of the walk is uncovered. I also wish we had brought our trike backpack because we had to carry her stroller around the rest of the trip. 

We got there and within a minute we were given paper wristbands and then a van took about 10 of us to the beach. It was about a 20-30 minute ride with traffic, but it was worth the effort! This was a perfect excursion with our toddler. Right when you get there, they have a wall of life vests in all sizes (small enough to fit our 25-pound toddler), snorkel masks, and leftover toys that prior families had left behind. We were given ice-cold filtered water, the Wi-Fi password (there's 2 Wi-Fi options, one for the Bar and one for the Beach so you have a great connection wherever you are and they're the same password for both), and then were taken to our area. 

Our area was PERFECT! A huge covered area that had 4 Adirondack chairs, 2 tables, a daybed, and a hammock! All just for the 3 of us. I had brought my baby Bogg Bag specifically so that I could use the little tray insert to have an extra table for all our stuff, but didn't even need it. 

 

We hadn't even sat down all our stuff when we were given the best rum punch welcome drinks I've ever had, and they even had a fruit punch version for our daughter. Right after that, we were given homemade tortilla chips and fresh pico de gallo and guacamole. They do use small 8-ounce cups like a lot of all inclusive resorts do, so I recommend you bring an insulated tumbler so your drink doesn't run out as fast. They were the best pina coladas we had ever had, and that's my husband's go-to vacation drink. The drinks didn't taste very strong (probably because they were so flavorful with the fresh pineapples), but when I asked for a double it was a little too strong. 

The ocean was nice, but for our time of the year the sea grass was definitely present. They had 2 guys on the beach and in the water trying to rake it away, but there was just so much that they weren't able to make a lot of progress. Once you got out a little ways, there was no seagrass. I wore my water sandals into the water because I don't love stepping on textured surfaces in open water, but I wish I'd worn my water socks instead because when I walked over/through the seagrass, some got stuck between my foot and sandals and it freaked me out. But, the water was nice and warm and they provided floating chairs on a first-come-first-serve basis, the water was nice and calm so safe for littles with the use of their provided life vests, and you could even see our ship from the beach! The beach was secluded in a jungle area and we didn't see anyone else at the beach. They also let you use their snorkel masks, stand up paddle boards, and kayaks for free. ]

For the people who didn't want to deal with the seagrass, they did have a pool. It was about half the size of a backyard pool. Unfortunately, a lot kids took the floating chairs into the pool which basically took up the entire pool, so we didn't feel we could squeeze in and try it out. The bathrooms were right by the pool.

The pool is bigger than this angle makes it look

Their service was the best service we've ever had. Lots of people always walking around in case you needed them, and occasionally they'd ask if you need something, but it was the perfect balance of being attentive without being annoying. They would even come into the ocean to serve the drinks. And one time I was going to the bar area anyways so I just went to ask for a refill myself and the bartender instantly recognized my cup and asked if I wanted another pina colada. They confirmed our cruise line and ship name, and then let us know they could take us back 70, 60, or 50 minutes before our boarding time, and then gave us a 15-minute warning before our ride was ready back.

What I really appreciated about this excursion as a toddler mom was that it wasn't a party atmosphere like a lot of places are on vacation. There was some music at the bar, but even at the bar it wasn't loud and you could easily have a conversation. Since we didn't get to port until after our daughter's lunch time, we had already eaten before we got off the ship so we didn't eat the provided lunch, but the chips we snacked on a bit were really good so I do think their lunch was also probably really good. The only kids we saw there were elementary aged or younger. Teenagers probably wouldn't love this place if they wanted a lot to do. But, I thought it was the perfect relaxing place and I would love to go there again just to sit and read a book with a drink in my hand. If I can't do that, then I'm just as happy to come back with our toddler and let her have a great day at her pace just playing in the water and the sand and taking naps on the beach.

Cozumel, Mexico

This was our second trip to Cozumel in two years (cruising out of Galveston will do that to ya), so I was so excited to put my daughter in the same outfit she wore the last time she was here. Last time, we just hung out at the Carnival port and did a little shopping and a little eating before going back on the ship. We were here from 7:30 until 4:30, so we had a good long day here. 

2023

2024

Similar to Costa Maya, we didn't really see a great toddler-friendly excursion offered by Royal Caribbean, so we booked Nachi Cocom on our own. We paid $69 per adult and $0 for our toddler to again get all-inclusive food and drinks. The reason we chose Nachi Cocom over other Cozumel options like Paradise Beach or Mr. Sanchos was that they limit the amount of guests per day. Having a toddler, it was really important to me that she felt she could run and play without getting trampled by a huge crowd. It also didn't have any big water inflatables that attract big kids who can run around and run over my daughter.

Navigating the Cozumel port to get to Nachi Cocum was an easier experience than navigating the Costa Maya port to get to Maya Chan. We again brought our Doona trike and this time remembered the trike backpack, but my husband thinks our daughter could have made the walk.We just followed the signs that pointed towards the taxi pickup. The one sus part was at the end there was a sign pointing to go to the right to get to the taxis, and then right behind that was a store with a sign pointing to the left down a hallway to get to the taxis. We thought this was a scam and went right, but actually you do go take a right until you get to the store and then take a left and go down the hallway to the taxis. What I appreciated about the taxi pickup was that they had a board with prices to the major tourist areas with a flat rate per 4 people. Whereas in Cancun all the taxis are white with a green stripe, here all the taxis were white with a red stripe, so you could feel comfortable knowing you're getting into a legit taxi. The trip was only about 20 minutes to get to the beach. 

Once you get there, they have you take a welcome photo and then later they offered us to buy it for $12. It was a cute photo, and I'm glad we bought it because with the chaos of a toddler we completely forgot to buy photos from our ship until after we got home, so this was our only professional photo of the trip. They then will take you to complete your payment and then give you paper wristbands and let you know who your waiter will be and then your taken to your beach chairs. There's actually a QR code that you need to scan to connect to Wi-Fi that we missed and had to go back, because the waiter we asked for the Wi-Fi code either didn't know it or wouldn't give it to us, so don't forget to scan the code before you leave. The Wi-Fi worked much better at the pool than at the beach. We were seated by the beach bar which made me nervous at first for nap times, but thankfully they didn't have the music too loud. 

What was the only con of our Nachi Cocom experience was that the beach area they brought us to initially had a big umbrella covering 4 beach chairs and a table, but as we were setting our stuff down, they took away the 2 beach chairs, leaving only 2 beach chairs for the 3 of us. I know that our daughter was free, but she still deserved to have her own chair and I wasn't a fan of this. At first I was just thinking they were rationing the chairs so that later-arriving guests could have a seat, but the chairs just sat out in the middle of the sun unoccupied for the rest of the day. The table they left us with was small, so I was very happy that I brought my baby Bogg Bag with my little tray insert to have an extra table so not everything had to go in the sand. 

The beach was also large and didn't seem to have a lot of sea grass, but I do recommend water sandals because there are a lot of shells. I'm glad we brought a little mesh bag for our daughter to collect shells in. There was no beach toys or floats offered, so make sure you bring your won. They have showers at the bathrooms to the right of the beach bar to wash off ocean water, and they have a food wash station near the pool to wash off sand. 

Nachi Cocom isn't a resort, but it does have a resort-sized pool. It was huge with a very large shallow ledge for adults to sit and talk or toddlers to play, an adults-only hot tub, and a swim-up bar. This was were my toddler wanted to spend the majority of the day, and we were just fine with that. 

Around the pool was a bunch of outdoor dining tables, so we had lunch by the pool. There was a good variety of options, and I really liked the food. The mixed drinks weren't the strongest, so we just stuck with beer to save on the empty calories. I never saw water sitting out like at Maya Chan, so I was glad we brought several bottled waters with us off the ship.

Regular menu

Kids menu

When it was time to go, they ordered a taxi for us and it was there about 5 minutes later. Overall, I think this would be a great sit and read a good book with a drink in your hand excursion. They specifically have signs saying they don't allow "spring break" behavior. Like Maya Chan, it seemed to be the perfect place for early elementary kids and younger to just hang out and enjoy the beach or the pool. We'd definitely come here again, but next time I do want to talk to them about having 1 beach chair per person rather than 1 beach chair per paying adult. 

Overall thoughts on this cruise

This trip was much better than our quick 2-night stay in Cancun, but felt just a little too short compared to our last 7-night cruise. But, we had a great time! It was definitely easier traveling with our daughter now that she can walk and explore the ship, but more exhausting because all she wanted to do was go up and down the stairs. Meals were also much easier with her being able to eat table food the whole time and not having to worry about formula and filtered water. 

Our next trip 

Ryan and I have agreed after going to an all-inclusive and then this cruise within a month that we just really prefer cruises right now. There's so much more variety of food to eat and things to do on a cruise, especially with a small kid. 

We really wanted to book our next cruise while on this ship (I'm only 15 nights away from Diamond status, which gets us each 4 free drinks a day!), but we're still at the growing stage of our family, and you can only cruise up until 26 weeks in your pregnancy. It just seems too soon to book a cruise when we don't know if/when I'll be pregnant before the next cruise. But, once we have that information sorted, we're on board to cruise again soon.

We have pretty much committed to being Loyal to Royal from the elevated experience you get with them. We're not completely against Carnival, and have even talked about going on the Vista again to stay in one of their Havana extended balcony rooms that has a little courtyard as a balcony (how perfect for babies!!). But, we do think we're ready for a break from Western Caribbean itineraries. I'm thinking our next cruise should go to Coco Cay because I haven't been there since they did their big renovation, and Ryan has never been there. I'm also itching to go on a larger ship, especially with little ones. I think our daughter would have loved being able to play on a splash pad on the cruise, so I'm starting to look at what the ships offer that would be best for them. 

And for our next trip.... we're going to Disney!

What To Do After Booking Your First Cruise

Depending on how early you booked your cruise, there can be several months between your booking date and your sailing date. It can feel like your cruise is forever away, yet there's plenty to-do's to keep you busy and excited as you countdown to embarkation day. Here's 10 things you can do while you wait!

Book Your Flight and Hotel for the Day Before the Cruise

If you're flying to your cruise port, you need to make sure you arrive at least the day you sail away. Cruise ships usually leave around 4pm, and if your flight is delayed or traffic is bad, then you will miss your ship. They do not wait for you, and they do not let you board last minute after the last boarding zone time. You also don't get a refund if your ship sails away without you. Because you'll be staying overnight, you'll need to book a hotel room too. 

Order a Passport

If you don't have a passport, or your passport will expire before the end of your trip, I recommend you get a valid passport for your cruise. While it is true that you technically don't need a passport if your cruise stops and starts in the U.S., and you could just use your birth certificate + ID to get on, any experienced cruiser will tell you it's worth it to get a passport. The cruise lines have ways to quickly scan your passport and verify all your information instantly, whereas with a birth certificate they have to check your information individually by hand. 

When we were getting off on the last day of our last cruise, if you had a passport then you literally just walked up to an iPad that scanned your face and you were good to go. It took less than a minute to get through security to get off the boat, so the passport line was moving very fast. On the other hand, the birth certificate line had only 2 people to check information, so that line was backed-up and it looked like it took about an hour to get through. 

Passports are good for 10 years for adults and 5 years for kids, so the cost and time it takes to get a passport pays off with how much time you can save over the years. Plus, then you'll have a passport and can do other international trips easily. 

Book Excursions

The mistake my family made on our first cruise was that we didn't even know excursions existed, and didn't know we should book them ahead of time. We learned about excursions on the first day, and by the time we went to the excursion desk on the cruise, there were slim pickings left. When it comes to excursions, your can do them through your cruise line, but also outside of your cruise line on your own. For your very first cruise, I recommend booking all of your excursions through your cruise line. There will be a lot of unfamiliarity when it comes to doing excursions for the first time, and it will be a lot less stressful if you have the cruise do everything for you. 

Not every port will need an excursion, but some ports absolutely do. It can be hard to tell if you need one or not. The best place to start is to go on Facebook and search for the cruise line + ship name + sailing date to find a Facebook group with your exact sailing (so, for example, I joined a Carnival Vista April 22, 2023 Facebook group for our cruise). There will likely be someone who has been to your exact port and can tell you if you need an excursion or not. In general, if your ship is stopping at a cruise line-owned island (Coca Cay and Labadee on Royal Caribbean, Castaway Cay on Disney, Halfmoon Cay for Carnival, or Princess Cay for Princess) then you will be fine without an excursion. These stops are on an island that has chairs on a beach set up for you, so you could just do that for free. Other stops, such as newer ports will only have a port... and nothing else. You'll be limited to just some touristy shopping and 1-2 touristy restaurants, and that's it. These stops you'll want to have something planned. Of course, you can do an excursion at each stop, even if it's at a cruise line-owned island. You usually can't do more than 1 excursion a day, so keep that in mind when you're trying to book.

Sign Up for Promotional Emails

I hate my emails being full of a ton of spam emails, but I think this is a necessary evil. Pre-cruise sales happen sporadically, and you can save yourself a lot of money by buying the internet package, drink package, or specialty dining package on discount. If you're cutting it close and you don't see any of these going on sale and your cruise is coming up, then go ahead and buy them. These packages are always more expensive on the ship, and usually stop being sold online about 24 hours before your sail date. 

Pre-booking cruise extras also helps so that your bill at the end of your cruise isn't a shock to the system. You can choose what extras you want to pre-pay for and when you want to buy them, so you can spread out the cost over the course of the months leading up to the cruise. 

Reserve Transportation or Parking

If you're driving to your cruise terminal, you'll need to make reservations ahead of time to make sure you have parking and aren't paying a day-of rate. If you've flown in, you'll need to see if your hotel has a shuttle down to the cruise terminal, or if not, make sure you have the cruise terminal information so you can reserve an Uber or Lyft. Make sure you take your baggage into consideration when ordering a car; just because a car can fit the number of passengers in your group does not mean that the car can also accommodate all of the luggage. 

Pre-Cruise Purchases

You honestly probably have the basics of what you'll need for a cruise: swimsuits and cover-ups for daytime, shorts and t-shirts for the day, summer dresses or pants and polos for casual dinner night, cocktail happy hour dress or pants and button-up for formal night, closed-toed shoes for on-board activities and excursions, sandals for the beach, heels or dress shoes for dinner, and travel toiletries. But if there's anything that you don't have, start buying now so that you don't forget anything.

Related: Cruise Packing Favorites and also What Not to Pack for A Cruise

Find Your Cruise Facebook Group

On Facebook, search for "cruise line" + "ship name" and a whole bunch of groups will show up. They usually have the sailing date in the name, but I don't type that in the search because some do the date and July 4 - July 7 and others do 7/4 - 7/7. Instead, I just look through the groups to find the one with my sailing date. Joining a Facebook group is great before a cruise. Probably any question you would have about your cruise will be asked, so you can easily find answers to frequently-asked questions. Or, if not, the group will be full of seasoned cruisers who can give you advise. 

The most common things I look for in the group are excursion recommendations and sale notifications. People also get really social with the groups. I've seen them schedule meet-ups for sea days, usually either all chipping in money to do a slot pull in the casino or playing some kind of group board or card game. 

Check In

About a month before your cruise, you can check in online for your trip. This will allow you to choose your boarding time. Personally, I always choose the earliest boarding time possible, because someone who boards at 11am and 3pm paid for the same cruise, but the former gets to enjoy their vacation for 4 more hours than the latter. Plus, there's free food so the sooner you get on the ship, you can avoid paying for lunch. However, the rooms aren't ready until later that afternoon, so some people prefer to get one of the latest boarding times to minimize how long they have to wait until their room is ready. 

Don't forget to print out your boarding pass and your luggage tags, I recommend you try to find a color printer to make things easier. Even if you aren't flying to your cruise, you'll need luggage tags. When you check in for your cruise, they will take all of your luggage from you and board them onto the ship for you and deliver them to your room for you. This makes it easier on you from having to drag a week's worth of clothes around the ship with you until your room is ready, and clears up congestion since no one has any luggage with them on boarding. 

Your cruise line will have an app, so you'll want that downloaded to your phone before the trip. The app will have a daily schedule on your phone so that you know what's going on each day. 

Related: All about cruise embarkation day

Get Cash

Make sure you add a credit card to your account when you sign in to make Day 1 easier. Once you get onboard, all of your purchases will be charged to your room through your room key. But, you'll still want several $1 bills for tipping as you go, and smaller bills for purchases off your ship at each port. Most ports will accept major credit cards, but some smaller shops may not. It's also a lot harder to barter with a card than cash. We typically bring about $200 each trip for tipping and cash purchases, but put as much as we can on our credit card (hi, points!) or charge to our room. These days, most credit cards don't even require you to notify them of international travel before you leave. 

Related: All about cruise port days

Download Entertainment

Even if you get the internet package, I promise you it will be worth it to download some Spotify playlists to your phone, some movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime, and some books to your Kindle. It is just so much faster and easier to have those downloaded and ready for your trip than to be killing battery waiting on slow download or streaming speeds.