Can anyone give me some advice on Royal Carribean?

Royal Caribbean is a great cruise line and they will enjoy their cruise. Here's my recommendations based on the almost 20 cruises I have been on, including all over the Caribbean.

When they arrive at the port to check in they (each passenger) will have an on board charge account set up and receive a key card which will serve as their room key, charge card for anything they buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir, tours, photos, etc) and its also their pass to get on and off ship in each port. When they first board the ship the security personnel will have them insert their key card into a scanner and then will take a photo that is included in the magnetic strip on the card. Each time they get off ship they will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license). This card allows the ship to keep an accurate track of all passengers entering and/or leaving the ship.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take swim wear, shorts, sandals, beach shoes, your snorkel equipment if you have it, sun glasses and sun screen, lotions, a cap or big hat for the sun, a book if you are a reader, your music player, sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, good walking shoes, your camera, and other personal toiletries. Take a warmup suit and/or light jacket for days when its breezy.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand. They do not provide tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions. They DO provide a hair dryer.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc.

Most cruises have a formal night or two when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up.

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage. Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- Cruise lines charge a lot (about $15 to $25 per photo) for the photos they take so take your own photos around the ship when you get the chance, especially on the formal nights. Take your own camera and ask other passengers to take photos for you, they generally are very willing.

- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

- Your cruise ship will likely have an internet cafe but the prices will be outrageous; like $50 to $60 an hour. So skip the ship's internet service and look for an internet cafe when you get to each port. You can usually get an hour in a port for about $5-6.00.

Although you have paid for there cruise, there will, be some additional expenses for them.

Gratuities: They will amount to about $10 per person per day. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice.

Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks: Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided free but you must pay for drinks (alcoholic beverages) and they will add a 15% gratuity to each drink of soft drink order. They can save on drinks by ordering them in a plain glass rather than the souvenir glasses the ships often use.

Photographs: Cruise lines will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports. These will cost a lot, like $15 to $20 for most. Skip them and save yourself a lot of money. Take your own camera and have the other passengers photograph you on and off the ship.

Tours/Excursions: These are listed on your cruise line web site and you can reserve them well before the cruise and pay for them also. If they wait until you are on ship to book tours they will be charged to their on board account (then they can pay cash to settle the account on the last day)

Souvenirs: Anything they buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on the on board account.

Casino: If they plan to gamble on ship they will need cash for that.

Other: The cruise ship will likely have what they call "specialty" restaurants where there is a gratuity/service charge. All other food on board is free but they will have to pay to eat in the specialty restaurants, usually about $10 to $20 per person each time.

A few things they'll need to know about going on a cruise:

(1) Your parents will need passports. Anyone leaving the country by boat or plane needs a passport NOW. Driving to and from Canada/Mexico you're still OK with a birth certificate and a picture ID, but that's supposed to change as of the first of the year.

(2) Tell them not to take any alcohol. The cruise lines make sure you buy your drinks from them by X-raying luggage, and they will confiscate any alcoholic beverages people attempt to bring on the boat. And yes, they check bottles that are supposed to be shampoo or mouthwash or whatever. It's not worth the hassle.

(3) Soft drinks and juice (excluding iced tea at mealtimes) are not included with meals, so you have to either bring your own on the ship or pay for them. Royal Caribbean offers coupon books where you get a bit of a break on beverage prices, and they also offer a special card where you pay one price for unlimited soft drinks. The card really isn't a good deal unless you drink a lot of soft drinks.

(4) Dinner meals have a dress code. The dress code is slacks/pants for men (no jeans or shorts) and a shirt with a collar (Polo shirts are OK, but no T-shirts). For women, it's a dress or the same rules for men, but women can also wear skirts. Many people like to dress up for dinner, so your Dad may want to go shirt-and-tie and your Mom may want to take a nice dress or two.

(5) Excursions on a cruise can be pretty expensive, but all things considered they're usually the best way to go unless you have visited the ports of call before and know your way around. The earlier you book excursions, the better your chances of getting the ones you want at the times you want.

(6) Tell them to see at least one show. All the cruise lines have excellent shows, and Royal Caribbean is no exception. The shows are usually free of charge, except under very special circumstances.

(7) Your parents should be prepared for motion sickness. Cruise ships are usually pretty smooth, but they can go up and down quite a bit when they're motoring at 20+ knots to the next port of call. Dramamine works well if taken at night, and they sell a non-drowsy version of Dramamine too.

(8) As with any trip, they should pack wet-weather clothes and may want to pack warmer clothes depending on where they're going. Even in areas where the weather is supposed to be warm, it can get pretty chilly on deck when the wind is blowing and the ship is at sea.

(9) They need to be prepared for tips. Some cruise lines figure out the tips for you and then bill you at the end of the cruise -- you can increase or decrease the tip amounts based on your level of satisfaction with the service though. Most cruise lines just have you add a tip at the end of the cruise, and the people who work on cruise lines make most of their money on tips. The people who normally get tips are housekeeping, the wait/bar staff, and the concierge. Check the Royal Caribbean website for more info on tips.

(10) Tell them to HAVE FUN!!!

Relax and have fun! Cruises are great.

Don't fill up on salads and bread at dinner time. The food is wonderful in the dining room on Royal. Skip the buffet. Eat lunch and breakfast in the main dining room!!

This is the best ship to go on for a first time cruiser. It is wonderful. Everything is at your fingertips. Easy to maneuver your way around. Your parents will absolutely love it and adore you for giving it to them. You are an angel. :)

None needed. Just sit back and enjoy the cruise.

Don't pack too much, sit back and relax.

Here are some tips

http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/firsttime/

this site has useful cruise information

http://allcruiselines.info/