Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas has returned to Vancouver just two hours after setting sail on what was supposed to be a 7-night Alaska cruise, with guests still onboard and uncertainty clouding the rest of the voyage.
The ship had departed Sunday evening for a scenic Inside Passage itinerary but was back at the dock within hours.
Passengers noted engine-related trouble, though onboard systems unrelated to propulsion remain fully operational.
No injuries or safety concerns have been reported, and guests have not been permitted to leave the vessel.
This marks the second consecutive sailing where Serenade of the Seas has faced propulsion problems.
On its previous cruise, technical limitations forced the cancellation of both a scheduled port call at Icy Strait Point and a day of scenic cruising.
While the cruise line acknowledged “speed restrictions from a technical issue” at the time, no specific mechanical details were disclosed.
Impact on Itinerary Still TBC
The ship had been scheduled to call in Sitka, Alaska, on Tuesday 8th July, but given its current location and lack of departure progress, it is unlikely that original itinerary will be maintained.
Royal Caribbean has not issued a public statement regarding the current technical issue or plans for an adjusted sailing, though guests onboard are expecting further updates.
While unexpected problems can happen, this latest setback has sparked comparisons to past incidents aboard Radiance of the Seas, a sister ship that suffered repeated engine issues in 2024, culminating in a last-minute cruise cancellation after passengers had already boarded.
At just over 90,000 gross tons, Serenade of the Seas is one of the smaller ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, accommodating around 2,500 passengers.
The vessel has spent much of the year tied to the line’s ambitious Ultimate World Cruise, but is also deployed for seasonal Alaska itineraries during the summer months.
As of Monday afternoon, the ship remains docked in Vancouver. It is unclear whether the sailing will proceed on a revised schedule or face further disruption.
Guests booked on upcoming cruises will be watching closely to see if the issue proves persistent or is resolved in short order.
More updates will follow once Royal Caribbean confirms the next steps for the voyage.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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One of the most common questions that I get asked in the DMs on my Instagram page is about what you get with Royal Caribbean when you book.
Which I guess isn’t surprising. It’s one of the biggest cruise lines in the world, if not the biggest. And when you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, it’s not always obvious what the cruise fare includes.
So here are all the things you get for free when you cruise, as well as the hidden costs on Royal Caribbean cruises (though they aren’t really hidden…)
Drinks
Firstly, let’s talk about the thing that most people want to know about – the drinks!
Included Drinks
The free drinks on Royal Caribbean cruise ships are:
Water (not bottled)
Flavoured water
Lemonade
Tea
Iced tea
Coffee
Hot chocolate
Fruit juice (only at breakfast)
All other drinks are chargeable. You can add each drink to your bar tab via your SeaPass card and pay for your drinks at the end of your cruise, or you can buy a drinks package for all-inclusive drinks throughout your trip.
The free drinks aren’t available in all venues and at all times, but you can find out exactly where and when to get them here: Guide To Royal Caribbean’s Free Drinks.
Enjoying a cocktail and an ice cream on Anthem of the Seas
The price of the Royal Caribbean drinks package varies depending on your cruise ship, itinerary and when you purchase the package. Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package usually costs somewhere between $50 and $115 per person, per day.
If you don’t drink a lot of alcohol, the Deluxe Beverage Package is rarely worth it. Instead, you may wish to consider the Refreshment Package or the Classic Soda Package.
I have a full guide to Royal Caribbean drinks packages which answers all your questions about them here: Royal Caribbean Drink Packages.
Whether or not the Royal Caribbean drinks package is worth it can be tricky to work out. To make it easy for you, I’ve made a drinks package calculator.
Just enter the drinks that you like to have and it will estimate your bar bill with and without the package.
Food
The next most-asked questions relate to what food you get included with your cruise…
There’s Plenty of Food Included
Royal Caribbean cruises include meals and snacks in a choice of dining venues. For something special, you can pay an extra fee to dine in one of the many speciality dining venues onboard.
On each ship, you can eat for free in the Main Dining Room, the Windjammer and at least two more free dining venues.
Lunch at the Windjammer
You can eat for free in these Royal Caribbean complimentary dining venues:
Main Dining Room – Formal restaurant
Windjammer – Casual restaurant
Mini Bites – Poolside snacks
Dog House – Hot dog stand
Cafe Promenade – Cafe food
Sorrento’s – Pizza slices
Noodle Bar – Fast food noodles
Vitality Cafe – Healthy breakfasts and lunches
Cafe @ Two70 – Cafe food
El Loco Fresh – Casual Mexican restaurant
Splashaway Cafe – Kids’ poolside snacks
Coastal Kitchen – Only for suite guests and Pinnacle Club members
Room service – Only continental breakfast items are free
Not every dining venue is available on every ship, but there will always be a choice of options available and the menus change every day.
Room service is free for continental breakfast items, but everything else has a $7.95 cover charge per order.
There’s really no need to pay anything extra for food as the free food is all excellent, but if you want to treat yourself then you might want to consider dining in one of Royal Caribbean’s speciality restaurants.
Royal Caribbean Speciality Dining Prices
The prices for speciality dining on Royal Caribbean cruises vary depending on your ship, itinerary and when you book it.
To find the exact prices for each speciality restaurant on your particular cruise, you’ll need to log into Royal Caribbean’s cruise planner.
To give you a rough idea, here are the speciality dining prices for two cruises I’ve taken. Remember, these are just examples from two particular cruises. They are not average prices and yours could cost more or less than this.
Anthem of the Seas
Chef’s Table – £74.09 ($100)
Chops Grille (Dinner) – £38.99 ($53)
Chops Grille (Lunch) – £17.93 ($24)
Izumi – £31.19 ($42)
Jamie’s Italian (Dinner) – £31.19 ($42)
Jamie’s Italian (Lunch) – £19.49 ($26)
Sushi & Sake (Lunch) – £31.19 ($42)
Taste of Royal (Lunch) – £27.29 ($37)
Wonderland – £42.89 ($58)
Dining Packages
Chops +1 Dining Package – £58.50 ($79)
3 Night Dining Package – £77.22 ($104)
Unlimited Dining Package – £155.22 ($209)
Harmony of the Seas
150 Central Park – £42.30 ($57)
Chef’s Table – £80.37 ($108)
Chops Grille (Dinner) – £42.30 ($57)
Chops Grille (Lunch) – £19.45 ($26)
Izumi – £33.84 ($46)
Izumi Hibachi Experience – £38.07($51)
Jamie’s Italian (Dinner) – £38.91 ($52)
Jamie’s Italian (Lunch) – £21.15 ($29)
Sabor – £18.61 ($25)
Sushi & Sake (Lunch) – £33.84 ($46)
Taste of Royal (Lunch) – £29.61 ($40)
Wonderland – £46.53 ($63)
Dining Packages
Chops +1 Dining Package – £71.07 ($96)
3 Night Dining Package – £97.31 ($131)
Unlimited Dining Package – £168.37 ($227)
Children aged 5 and under dine in speciality restaurants for free. For children aged 6 to 12 you only pay $10 for speciality dining when ordering from the kids’ menu.
Dining Packages – Worth It?
For a first cruise, I wouldn’t recommend booking speciality dining unless there’s a particular restaurant that you really wish to try. The free food is so good and the speciality dining is more expensive on Royal Caribbean ships than with some other cruise lines.
The dining packages don’t give a big discount compared to booking speciality dining restaurants individually.
Dining packages don’t include premium dining experiences like Chef’s Table, Wine Pairing Dinners, Taste of Royal and Mystery Dinner Theatre. Izumi Hibachi has a $10 surcharge with a dining package.
WiFi
The only mobile phone reception at sea comes from maritime networks, which should be avoided at all costs as they are crazily expensive. If you want to stay connected, you might want to get a WiFi package.
WiFi is not generally included on Royal Caribbean cruises, although WiFi packages are sometimes given as a free perk when booking during a promotional period.
Royal Caribbean WiFi costs from $20 per day for a single device.
There used to be several packages, including a cheaper one that started at around $10 per day, but that’s changed now that the faster Starlink internet has been installed across the fleet.
On your cruise, rather than tipping cash to individual staff members, guests are charged a set fee per day, which Royal Caribbean distributes evenly to its employees.
Royal Caribbean Automatic Gratuities
Royal Caribbean gratuities (also known as tips) cost $18 per person, per day for guests staying in Junior Suites and below and $20.50 per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above. This applies to guests of all ages, including children and babies.
Gratuities are tips for staff members
You can choose to pre-pay your gratuities before your cruise or have them added to your onboard account to pay at the end.
No further tipping is required or expected on board, although some people (mostly US guests) do sometimes give cash tips as well to recognise exceptional service.
If you have any questions about Royal Caribbean gratuities, you’ll find those answered here: Royal Caribbean gratuities.
On-Board Activities & Entertainment
Royal Caribbean ships have so much to do that it’s impossible to be bored. The great news is that almost everything is included for free.
Most activities on most Royal Caribbean ships are included in your cruise fare. So you won’t need to pay any extra for things like the FlowRider, climbing wall, zip line, ice skating, laser tag, mini-golf, water slides, shows or to use the gym.
However, on cruises departing from the UK, China and Singapore there may be a fee to use the iFly and the North Star observation pod.
The price varies depending on your cruise. While these activities used to be free, the introduction of an extra charge means that each ride lasts longer and you can avoid any queues. For more info, see this video by Cruise With Ben & David.
FlowRider and iFly
There are a few more things that cost extra on Royal Caribbean cruises. The prices vary depending on the ship and may go up and down according to demand, but here are some ballpark figures…
Prices of extra activities on Royal Caribbean ships:
All-access ship tour – $49 to $129
Escape room – $20
Private FlowRider lessons – $69 to $552
Fitness classes – $12
Cooking classes – $35 to $70
Spa and beauty services – From $32 for a wash and blow-dry to $2000+ for some treatments
Casino and bingo – Various
Art auctions – Each ship has several million dollars of art for sale
Photographs – From $20 per print
Video arcade – $1 to $3 per game
Laundry – $2 to $15 per item
Gift shop purchases – Various
Medical services – From $150
Visits to the adults-only Solarium (pictured at the very top of this post) are included on most Royal Caribbean cruises. However, on cruises from China, this area is only available for guests staying in Gold or Silver suites or Crown & Anchor Diamond members and above.
One of the biggest perks of cruising for parents is that the kids’ clubs are the best in the world. Some parents barely see their kids all week because the kids want to spend all of their time having fun with their new friends in the kids’ club.
Royal Caribbean & Babysitting
Until 2018, Royal Caribbean used to offer babysitting in your stateroom but this service has been discontinued.
However, for kids aged 3 to 11, the Adventure Ocean kids’ club is open until 10pm for free, or 2am for an extra fee. Under 3s can attend the Royal Babies and Royal Tots clubs until midnight.
Royal Tots Nursery
Babysitting Costs
This table shows the charges for childcare on Royal Caribbean cruises:
Age
Time
Price
0 to 3
9am to 6pm
$6 per hour
0 to 3
6pm to 12am
$8 per hour
3 to 11
9am to 5pm
FREE
3 to 11
7pm to 10pm
FREE
3 to 11
10pm to 2am
$10 per hour
12 to 14
8pm to 1am
FREE
15 to 17
9pm to 1am
FREE
Under 3s are looked after in the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery. This isn’t available on every ship. You can see a list of ships that have it here: The best Royal Caribbean ships for kids.
Official Royal Caribbean cruise excursions can be very pricey, so you may want to look for cheaper alternatives on reputable websites like Viator or via the Shore Excursions Group. Alternatively, you can just get off the ship and do your own thing.
Excursion from Athens
Private Island Activities
CocoCay Activities
If your cruise includes a visit to Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamian island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, then many of the activities are free of charge, but some have an extra fee.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
This table shows the prices of activities on Perfect Day at Cococay:
Experience
Price
Thrill Waterpark
Age 4+: $44-$99 per person Age 0-3: Free
Zip Line
$79-$139 per person
Up, Up and Away helium balloon
Age 13+: $39-$99 per person Age 4-12: $24-$64 Age 0-3: Free
Coco Beach Club
Age 13+: $54-$99 per person Age 4-12: $34-$69 Age 0-3: Free
Royal Caribbean offers ‘The Key’ – a program that gives premier access to exclusive experiences during your cruise.
The Key includes:
Priority check-in and boarding
Carry-on bag drop off
Welcome lunch on embarkation day
Private hours on the rock climbing wall and FlowRider
Priority departure at ports of call
VIP seating at shows
WiFi access
Exclusive breakfast on debarkation day
The cost for The Key varies depending on your cruise, but it will be somewhere between $26 and $40 per person, per day. If one person wants The Key, then everyone in the cabin aged six and over must also buy it.
However, if you plan to purchase WiFi anyway, like to be first off the ship in each port and like the idea of having set times for the rock climbing and FlowRider when you don’t have to queue, then it could be worth it for you.
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Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…
The Bottom Line
If, like me, you’re cruising on a budget, then you don’t really have to pay anything extra at all for your Royal Caribbean cruise!
The only extra that you must pay for is gratuities. However, if you book your cruise during a promotional period then you may be able to get free gratuities included, or maybe some free on-board credit that you can use to pay for your gratuities.
With so many extras available, it’s easy to spend double your cruise fare or more on board the ship, particularly if you spend a lot of time in the spa or the casino!
When budget cruisers like myself book the cheapest inside cabins and don’t spend anything extra on board, cruise lines don’t make much of a profit at all and may even make a loss.
However, that’s okay because they make the money back with the people who do spend a lot onboard. Those that spend a lot in the casino even get free cruises because Royal Caribbean loves to have them on board spending money!
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Have you found yourself with some Royal Caribbean onboard credit and want to know how you can spend it?
There are plenty of things that Royal Caribbean onboard credit can be used for, as well as some that it can’t, and planning ahead (just a little) can make your $ go a lot further.
While onboard credit may seem like free money, you’ll get a lot more out of it if you spend it wisely…
How Onboard Credit Works
On a Royal Caribbean cruise, your cashless onboard expenses account is also known as your SeaPass account.
When you make purchases on the ship, these will be charged to your account. At the end of your cruise, you can settle your account with cash, by credit or debit card or with onboard credit.
When you receive onboard credit, this is credited to your SeaPass account. It will offset any purchases that you make on the ship.
How To Get Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit (OBC)
There are many ways that you can get Royal Caribbean onboard credit. These include:
Promotions – If you book your cruise during a promotional period, you can get anywhere up to $400 of OBC per stateroom
Booking Onboard – If you book your next cruise while you’re already on a cruise, you can get up to $500 of OBC to spend on either your current sailing or the next one
Booking With A Travel Agent – Many travel agents offer onboard credit as a bonus for booking with them
The Royal Caribbean Visa Card – Each time you use Royal Caribbean’s branded Visa credit card you earn points. If you collect 10,000 points you’ll get $100 in OBC
Compensation – If something goes wrong on your cruise, such as if the ship has a technical problem or the service is poor, you may be given OBC by way of apology
Price Drops – If the price of your cruise drops after booking, you may receive the difference in OBC
Cancelled Cruises – If your sailing is suspended and you rebook for a later date, anything that was pre-purchased turns into OBC for your next cruise, sometimes with a 25% bonus.
Shareholders – If you own at least 100 RCL shares, you will receive $50 OBC on cruises of 5 nights or less, $100 on cruises of 6-13 nights and $250 on longer cruises
Military – Members and veterans of the US and Canadian armed forces may get $50 OBC per stateroom when booking certain cruise
Future Cruise Credit Vs Onboard Credit
If your Royal Caribbean cruise is cancelled, you may receive a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) that you can use to pay for another cruise ticket. This is different from Onboard Credit (OBC) which can only be used for onboard purchases.
You cannot convert Future Cruise Credit into Onboard Credit. So if the value of your FCC is higher than the cost of your next cruise, a new voucher will be issued for the remaining FCC.
What Royal Caribbean OBC Can Be Used For
Royal Caribbean onboard credit can be used to purchase most things onboard the ship. It can’t be used for medical expenses, taxes and port fees.
It used to be the case that you could only spend Royal Caribbean on board credit once you boarded your ship.
However, Royal Caribbean now lets you apply onboard credit to purchases made before your cruise via the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner website or via the telephone.
However, this only applies to certain types of onboard credit. If you purchase the onboard credit as a gift card, for example, you’ll probably have to wait until you board the ship to use it.
Unused Onboard Credit
If you don’t use your onboard credit during your cruise, you’ll lose it. So you must spend it all before the end of the last night of your cruise to avoid wasting it.
The Best Ways To Use Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit
When it comes to deciding what to spend your Royal Caribbean onboard credit on, some purchases are much smarter than others.
It’s a good idea to prioritise the things that you would purchase regardless of whether you have onboard credit or not. For example, everyone must pay gratuities, so budget to use your OBC on those first.
Some things you can buy on Royal Caribbean cruise ships are almost always a waste of money, even if you consider that money to be free!
So, here’s a list of how to use onboard credit on Royal Caribbean cruises, including all the best ways to make it work in your favour.
1. Gratuities
The best way to spend any onboard credit that you have is on gratuities. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, gratuities cost $18 per person, per day for most guests and $20.50 per person, per day for those staying in suites.
Gratuities are mandatory, and they go towards paying the crew members who work so hard to look after us. As this is something that we all need to pay anyway, it makes sense to spend your onboard credit on gratuities first, then see how much you have left for the fun stuff.
Here’s how much gratuities cost per day on a Royal Caribbean cruise, for each person including kids and babies.
Cruise Duration
Standard Staterooms
Suites
2
$36.00
$41.00
3
$54.00
$61.50
4
$72.00
$82.00
5
$90.00
$102.50
6
$108.00
$123.00
7
$126.00
$143.50
8
$144.00
$164.00
9
$162.00
$184.50
10
$180.00
$205.00
11
$198.00
$225.50
12
$216.00
$246.00
13
$234.00
$266.50
14
$252.00
$287.00
At the end of your cruise, any leftover onboard credit will be automatically offset against any gratuities owed on your final bill.
So you don’t need to do anything, just check the bill at the end of the cruise, and if you’ve calculated correctly, they should cancel each other out, and you’ll be left with a zero balance.
Most activities on board Royal Caribbean ships are included in your cruise fare, but there are some things that you have to pay extra for.
Royal Caribbean includes less and less for free these days, as some activities like the North Star observation pod and the iFly skydiving simulator on Quantum-class ships are now chargeable.
Here are the approximate prices of extra activities on Royal Caribbean ships.
North Star – $25
iFly Skydiving Simulator – $55
All-access ship tour – $49 to $129
Escape room – $20
Private Flowrider lessons – $69 to $552
Fitness classes – $12
Cooking classes – $35 to $70
Video arcade – $1 to $3 per game
Note that these may vary by sailing and are subject to change.
You probably won’t want to do all of these extra activities as there are so many things that you can do on board for free.
But if there are any that you definitely want to tick off, then these would be a great way to spend any onboard credit that you have left over after paying for gratuities.
3. Drinks
Royal Caribbean cruises do include some free drinks like water, tea, coffee, flavoured water and milk. For all other drinks, you can either add them to your onboard account individually or buy a drink package before your cruise.
There are several drinks packages to choose from and the prices vary depending on your cruise and when you buy it.
To work out whether you should buy a drink package or pay for your drinks individually, read my guide to Royal Caribbean drink packages. Or, if you’re short on time, you can use my Royal Caribbean drink package calculator that will work it out for you based on what you usually drink.
Whether you add your drinks to your onboard account or get a drink package, you can use your onboard credit to cover some or all of the cost.
Treating yourself to a special meal in one of Royal Caribbean’s upscale restaurants could be a great way to spend any onboard credit you’ve accumulated.
Like most things with Royal Caribbean, the cost varies depending on the ship and the sailing, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $25 per head for lunch at Chop’s Grille or Jamie’s Italian to $100 for dinner at the Chef’s Table.
If you really enjoy speciality dining, you can buy dining packages that let you eat in a certain number of restaurants or upgrade to enjoy unlimited speciality dining throughout your cruise.
5. Spa Services
Spa services can be pricy on a cruise. But, if you rarely ever visit the spa then perhaps now’s the time to treat yourself using your onboard credit. After all, if you think of it as free money then surely you can justify the price?
While some of Royal Caribbean spa treatments can cost upwards of $2000, you can just buy a day pass to use the spa facilities like the sauna and steam room for as little as $30, depending on your ship.
Or, for a similar price, you could treat yourself to a wash and blow-dry in the hair salon so that you’re looking your best for the formal night.
6. Babysitting
Childcare in Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean kid clubs is generally free of charge. But, there is a fee if your child is under three or if you want them to stay past 10 pm.
At between $6 and $8 per hour, the group babysitting option is cheaper than getting a sitter at home would be, so why not make the most of your time away and treat yourself to some adults-only time in the theatre, casino or nightclub?
This table shows the charges for childcare on Royal Caribbean cruises:
Age
Time
Price
0 to 3
9am to 6pm
$6 per hour
0 to 3
6pm to 12am
$8 per hour
3 to 11
9am to 5pm
FREE
3 to 11
7pm to 10pm
FREE
3 to 11
10pm to 2am
$10 per hour
12 to 14
8pm to 1am
FREE
15 to 17
9pm to 1am
FREE
7. Souvenirs
You might think that the souvenirs on Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships would be ridiculously expensive. But actually, there are some great deals to be had, particularly if you’re shopping with your free onboard credit!
While you’ll find plenty of designer bags, watches and jewellery costing thousands of dollars a piece, there are some affordable souvenirs too.
On my last cruise, I treated myself to some Royal Caribbean t-shirts which were two for $20. Bargain!
8. Shore Excursions
Your Royal Caribbean onboard credit doesn’t just have to be spent on things you find on the ship – you can also use it to purchase official shore excursions.
Shore excursions can be pricey, so it’s good to think about how much it would cost to organise a DIY version. But if you don’t have the time or want to avoid the hassle, then taking Royal Caribbean’s official excursions is the easiest way to explore ashore.
You can also use your onboard credit to pay for activities on Royal Caribbean’s island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. While there are lots of things to do on CocoCay for free, activities like the Thrill Waterpark and the Up, Up & Away balloon ride are chargeable.
9. WiFi
If you need to stay connected at sea, Royal Caribbean offers WiFi packages that start at around $20 per day.
While you may be able to get WiFi for free on a Royal Caribbean cruise, this isn’t always reliable. So, if you need to use your phone to keep in touch with work or family members who need you, then it makes sense to buy a WiFi package and cover the costs with your onboard credit.
10. Photos
Cruise ship photographers take some excellent photos, so why not take this opportunity to purchase some images that will give you everlasting memories of your Royal Caribbean cruise?
You usually don’t have to pay anything for the photoshoot, and then you can choose as few or as many photos as you like and take them home either digitally or in print.
When you visit the photo shop, just charge everything to your onboard account and it will be offset with any onboard credit you have left at the end of your cruise.
11. The Key Program
If you still can’t decide what to spend your onboard credit on, then Royal Caribbean’s The Key program gives you a little bit of everything…
The Key includes:
Priority check-in and boarding
Carry-on bag drop off
Welcome lunch on embarkation day
Private hours on the rock climbing wall and FlowRider
Priority departure at ports of call
VIP seating at shows
WiFi access
Exclusive breakfast on debarkation day
The cost for The Key varies depending on your cruise, but it will be somewhere between $26 and $40 per person, per day. If one person wants The Key, then everyone in the cabin aged six and over must also buy it.
Personally, I don’t think that the Royal Caribbean Key is worth it.
However, if you plan to purchase WiFi, like to be first off the ship in each port and like the idea of having set times for the rock climbing and FlowRider when you don’t have to queue, then it could be a good way to use up your onboard credit.
To buy The Key, you’ll need to access Royal Caribbean’s cruise planner online before you set sail.
Royal Caribbean cruise ships don’t have any self-service launderettes, so if you run out of clean clothes then you can either clean them yourself in the sink or pay for them to be washed or dry cleaned and pressed.
Personally, I like to use a Scrubba wash bag to wash my clothes for free on a cruise ship. But if you don’t have one, you can pay $2 to $15 per item for professional cleaning.
13. Casino
It may be possible to cash out your Royal Caribbean onboard credit in the casino, but this isn’t something that Royal Caribbean really want you to do.
Some cruisers have reported in forums that they’ve had some success with putting their Seapass cruise card into a slot machine and transferring money from their onboard account to the machine.
After spinning the wheels a couple of times, they press cash out and receive a ticket. You can take that ticket to the cashier’s window and receive real cash.
To use this method, it’s best to use a slot machine as if you do it at a table you will be charged an extra 5% to convert your onboard credit into chips.
Plus, there are reports of an unwritten rule that you gamble with some of the money before cashing out. According to one cashier, at least 10% seems to be an acceptable amount.
14. Bingo
Buying bingo tickets is one possible way to spend Royal Caribbean onboard credit. There are some big prizes to be won and you could even win a free cruise.
However, there are some pretty small prizes too, so even if you win it might cost you more to enter than the value of the prize!
Royal Caribbean bingo tickets start from $49 for 24 chances to win, although if you spend $69 you get 48 chances, so it doesn’t make much sense to go for the cheaper ticket packages.
On the whole, the returns aren’t great. So if you love bingo, this might be for you. But for most people, you’ll do better in the casino.
15. Art
Cruise ship art auctions can be fun to watch and you’ll usually get a free glass of fizz. But that’s probably where you should leave it.
These art auctions use all kinds of tricks to get you to buy. One of which is putting very small paintings inside huge frames, you can see!
Serious art investors would never buy art on a cruise ship as the paintings are known to be ridiculously overpriced. If you do some research, you’ll be able to find the exact same prints for a fraction of the price elsewhere.
And that’s exactly what you’ll be getting anyway, as the art that gets delivered to your home doesn’t come from the ship, it comes from a warehouse on land.
That said, I did buy some art at a Royal Caribbean art auction with my onboard credit. The picture was only $60 and I really liked it. I did turn down the offer of a $450 frame though and opted to get my print framed in a local shop for £49.
So, yes, you can use your onboard credit to pay for art from the art auction. But honestly, you’d do better to enjoy the free drinks, take note of the prices and buy elsewhere (unless its a painting that you really do love).
The Gift Card Trick
If you’ve taken a Carnival cruise in the past, you may know that people have been able to use their Carnival cruise onboard credit to purchase a Carnival gift card from the store on board as a way of extending their credit so that they can carry it over to their next cruise.
This trick won’t work on Royal Caribbean because, unlike Carnival gift cards, Royal Caribbean gift cards can only be used towards cruise fare, not onboard purchases and shipboard charges.
Royal Caribbean onboard credit expires at the end of your cruise, so be sure to use it before you lose it.
My Recommendation
If you have some Royal Caribbean onboard credit to spend, then the smartest thing to do would be to first put it towards gratuities, provided that you haven’t already pre-paid those.
Work out how much you expect to pay in gratuities based on the number of guests in your room, your stateroom type and the duration of your cruise. Then, subtract this amount from the amount of onboard credit you have.
This will leave you with an amount of onboard credit to spend on treating yourself. The best uses for any leftover onboard credit are drinks, speciality dining, spa treatments and souvenirs.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Liverpool Cruise Terminal is just a short stroll from the city centre, and the good news is – parking nearby doesn’t have to break the bank. From convenient walkable options to cheaper car parks with shuttle buses, there’s something to suit every budget.
If you’re planning to stay the night before your cruise, some local hotels even offer parking packages. This guide covers all the best parking choices, so you can find the perfect spot for your trip.
Where The Cruise Ships Dock In Liverpool
Liverpool Cruise Terminal is located on Prince’s Dock in the River Mersey. The cruise terminal is almost adjacent to the Liver Building, which you’ll recognise from the Liver bird statues that sit on top.
The cruise terminal is the small building with the white roof, in the bottom left of the photo above. Yes, it’s really small and feels a bit like a marquee.
Liverpool cruise port address: Liverpool Cruise Terminal, Gate, 2 Princes Parade, Liverpool L3 1DL
Where To Check In At Liverpool Cruise Port
The small size of the Liverpool Cruise Terminal means that usually only smaller cruise ships depart from Liverpool with check-in at the terminal.
On the rare occasions that larger ships depart from Liverpool, check-in is processed at a different building nearby, such as the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena. So, you’ll want to pay close attention to your cruise documents to see exactly where you need to go.
If you check in at the arena, there will be a complimentary coach ride to the ship.
The Best Cruise Parking In Liverpool
When it comes to choosing where to park in Liverpool for a cruise, you have three main options:
Park nearby and walk to the port
Park further away and take a shuttle bus or taxi to the port
Stay at a nearby hotel and leave your car there
Which is the best will depend on your budget, how long your cruise is and your mobility requirements.
1. Parking Near Liverpool Cruise Terminal
Parking near your cruise ship in Liverpool means that you can walk from your car straight to the baggage drop area.
Liverpool Cruise Terminal doesn’t have an official long-stay car park. However, you can find car parks nearby that allow you to leave your car for several days or weeks.
To do this, you’ll need to use the Your Parking Space website.
I’ve used this to book Liverpool cruise parking several times, and it’s always cost me less than £10 per day to park within a few minutes’ walk of the port.
I have used different car parks each time as there are several in the area, but all have been easy to find and secure.
How To Find the Nearest Car Parks With Your Parking Space
1. Go to yourparkingspace.co.uk
2. Do a search
Select ‘Hourly’
Enter ‘Cruise Liverpool’
Select your dates and times
Hit ‘Search’.
3. Use the map to find the nearest car parks
4. Take a closer look
The blue flag is your destination
Zoom in and out
Check prices
Check the description and reviews
5. Choose and book your parking
Enter your vehicle registration and payment info
Your booking details and entry instructions will be sent via email and text message
Tip for choosing a car park:
Your Parking Space shows all kinds of pre-bookable car parking facilities, including secure car parks, on-street parking and parking space hire on private driveways. Secure car parks are generally the best choice.
Find More Car Parking With Just Park
If you don’t have any luck with Your Parking Space, then you should also check out Just Park.
This website is very similar and works in exactly the same way, but often has different car parking spaces.
To find the cheapest and nearest car parking to Liverpool Cruise Terminal, it’s a good idea to check both sites.
I sometimes find that the same car park is listed on both sites, but is cheaper on one of them.
2. Liverpool Park and Ride Companies
Sometimes, the cheapest option can be to park your car a mile or two from the cruise port and take a shuttle bus or taxi.
Car Park and Shuttle Bus – CPS
You can currently only book your parking with Cruise & Passenger Services (CPS) if you’re cruising with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
The official car parking partner for these cruise lines, CPS, has a secure car park which is located a ten-minute bus ride from the cruise terminal.
CPS asks drivers to drop off passengers and luggage at the baggage drop area at Liverpool Cruise Terminal before proceeding to the car park. After parking your vehicle, you will then take a shuttle bus back to the cruise terminal.
Disabled drivers can opt for valet parking at no extra cost. If you have a blue badge, you can simply drive to the cruise terminal and a member of staff will drive your car to the car park for you.
You can pre-book CPS parking here. It usually costs more than the nearby car parks and you’ll need to allow time for the shuttle bus, but this is a good option for anyone who has a car parking voucher as part of their cruise booking.
Car Park and Taxi – King Park
Many cruisers recommend King Park as a cheap option for parking in Liverpool. This short- and long-stay car park costs just £20 for two to five days and £25 for seven days.
The car park has CCTV and good lighting in the evening. An Uber from King Park to Liverpool Cruise Terminal costs about £9 and a taxi will cost a little more.
It’s not possible to pre-book parking at King Park. however, the car park is very large and is rarely full to capacity.
3.Liverpool Hotels With Cruise Parking
There are several hotels in Liverpool that offer parking for cruise passengers.
If you intend on driving for more than a couple of hours to reach Liverpool, it can be a good idea to drive the night before and enjoy a hotel stay before your cruise. When pre-arranged, you can leave your car in the hotel car park for the duration of your cruise.
There are currently no ‘Stay, Park and Cruise’ deals advertised. However, it’s worth contacting the hotels as they will be able to advise whether they have parking available for your dates.
Hotels With Parking Near Liverpool Cruise Port:
Crowne Plaza – 0.1 miles from Liverpool Cruise Terminal
Delta Hotels Liverpool City Centre – 0.8 miles from Liverpool Cruise Terminal
Hampton by Hilton – 0.9 miles from Liverpool Cruise Terminal
The Best Place To Park In Liverpool For A Cruise
The best place to park in Liverpool for a cruise is the Capital Car Park, which is just a five-minute walk from Liverpool Cruise Terminal.
For week-long cruises, it can be cheaper to park a little further away and take a taxi or shuttle bus. Alternatively, you may be able to secure a Liverpool hotel and cruise parking deal by calling hotels directly to enquire.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Cruise ships are floating cities – so how on earth do they glide through the water with such precision? And what about those massive propellers underneath… are they dangerous?
If you’ve ever wondered how cruise ships stay on course (or you’re worried about getting too close to a propeller), this guide is for you. We’ll uncover the fascinating engineering behind cruise ship propulsion, reveal just how big those propellers really are, and clear up any myths about getting pulled under.
How Big A Cruise Ship Propeller Is
Cruise ship propeller sizes can vary, but the biggest are approximately 20 feet (6 metres) in height. Due to the size of the propellers, the bottom of a ship tends to lift up towards the rear so that the propellers don’t sit below the bottom of the ship.
Here’s what one of the biggest cruise ship propellers looks like…
The shape of the bottom of a cruise ship with the raised rear helps to propel the ship forward. It also ensures that the propeller doesn’t have a huge impact on the ship’s draft. If the propellers protruded from the very bottom of the ship, then it would struggle to get to most ports due to the lack of depth of the water.
Most modern cruise ships use azimuthing pods (azipods). They work by having the propeller at the front of the pod, rather than the back, so they actually pull the ship rather than pushing it. They have a reverse function and can spin 360 degrees to help with steering.
This photo shows the azipods on Radiance of the Seas during drydock.
An azipod is like a propeller and a rudder all in one. If you’re wondering whether cruise ships still have rudders, read this article for the answer from a ship’s pilot.
We know that the biggest propellers are 20 feet in height, but that can be quite hard to picture. But if it helps, a typical two-storey house is around 19 feet tall, while a giraffe will average at around 18 feet tall (but can sometimes grow to 20 feet tall).
That should make it a little easier to understand just how large these propellers are!
They’re not the biggest in the world, though. Those tend to belong to container ships – just imagine how much power is needed to push a giant ship full of heavy containers. The MSC Oscar has propellers that are 10.5 metres or approximately 35 feet in diameter.
That’s almost 43% bigger than those on the Oasis-class ships for Royal Caribbean, despite the ship only being 9% longer.
How Many Propellers Cruise Ships Have
Most cruise ships have three propellers, while generally, ships will have between one and four. Cruise ships use three propellers due to the balance they offer between fuel consumption, thrust, and manoeuvrability.
The number of propellers a ship has will determine how fast the ship is, how much fuel it needs to use to move, and how easy it is for the ship to turn.
The largest freighter ships in the world may only have one propeller. They tend to take long journeys in a relatively simple direction, they are built to withstand storms, so don’t necessarily need to move around them, and there isn’t a massive rush to get to the destination.
Cruise ships need more manoeuvrability. It’s not good to power through a storm when you have guests onboard who are trying to enjoy a relaxing cruise, and ships tend to weave in and out of the coastline as they visit different ports, so it’s important that the ships can steer effectively.
They also need to move relatively quickly. Not super-fast speeds, but fast enough to be able to reach a selection of ports within an itinerary. Otherwise, most cruises would have two sea days in between every port you visited!
Three azipod propellers are generally the accepted number for most modern cruise ships. Four isn’t really necessary, and three helps to keep the fuel consumption in check while providing plenty of power and steering to make cruises comfortable.
Also, they typically have four blades – propellers typically have between three and five, but the azipods used on most cruise ships have four. More propellers can improve performance, but for a cruise ship, it’s not necessary.
Lower manufacturing costs than a five-blade propeller
Good performance at low speeds
Best fuel economy compared to three-blade and five-blade propellers
Better durability than five-blade propellers
How Fast A Cruise Ship Propeller Spins
Cruise ship propellers typically spin at a speed of 250 revolutions per minute (RPM). This isn’t extremely fast when compared to some other propellers – there is more of a focus on torque and power in order to push a massive ship through the water.
Remember that these propellers are in the ocean, not in the open air. That means there is a lot more resistance. If you put the same propellers, with the same engine power, in an open-air space, they would be capable of spinning a lot faster.
Again, it’s hard to visualise how fast 250 revolutions per minute is. But if you can picture it, it means that the fan blades of the propeller are completing a full revolution around four times every second.
Still need help? Well, a ceiling fan will typically have an RPM of between 200 and 350. So, if you live somewhere that has ceiling fans, try putting it on the slowest setting, and you’ll be able to get an idea of how fast a cruise ship propeller spins.
Or you can use this cool tool just to visualise it – just enter 250 in the box to see how it looks in action.
What Cruise Ship Propellers Are Made Of
Cruise ship propellers, just like any propeller used on a modern ship, are made from an alloy of stainless steel and aluminium. This provides the necessary strength to be able to move through the water, and it is resistant to rust, too. It’s also light enough not to increase the drag on the ship.
The propellers of a cruise ship spend their life in the water – unless they go into a dry dock for cruise ship repairs or renovations. So it’s vital they can stand up to corrosion and the other forms of degradation that water can impose.
An alloy of stainless steel and aluminium won’t rust, and will be durable enough to withstand the constant demands of a giant cruise ship at cruising speed.
Myth Or Fact: Cruise Ship Propellers Can Pull You Under
It is possible for a cruise ship propeller to pull you under, but the odds are very low. You would have to be swimming directly alongside the ship, towards the aft where the propellers are located, or directly behind it, and even then, the depth is usually enough to protect you.
You have to remember that cruise ship propellers don’t sit on the waterline – they are submerged, and are typically at least 10 feet under the water. Therefore, the drag at the water level is lessened, but not completely removed.
If you were to jump off a cruise ship and dive a few feet under the water due to your momentum, you could get caught in the slipstream. But remember how unlikely that is.
And if you stay at the surface, treading water, you would need to be almost touching the ship to be at risk of being pulled under.
While people do go missing on cruise ships, the odds of falling overboard on a cruise ship are around one in a million, based on the number of incidents and the number of cruise passengers (source). And many of the incidents recorded are due to people jumping rather than falling.
These facts about cruise ship propeller drag don’t mean it’s safe to swim over to a cruise ship if you see one in a dock, though. You never know when the engines could kick in and cause a sudden current shift, and that would increase your risk.
In summary, if you are sensible on or near a cruise ship, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. But don’t take risks if you see a cruise ship in port and fancy getting a closer, water-level view.
Final Word
Cruise ship propellers are absolutely massive, but they, of course, have to be in order to propel these mammoth cruise ships through the water.
They’re incredible pieces of engineering, with the latest Azipods being much more efficient too, which contributes to the way that ships are being designed to be better for the planet, with changes to cruise ship engines and fuel types too.
Don’t panic about going overboard either – the odds of that happening are extremely low, and even then, the odds of being sucked under by the propellers are minuscule. Cruises are very, very safe!
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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Carnival just changed its loyalty program, and loyal cruisers are not happy. If you’ve spent years racking up nights to hit Platinum or Diamond, you might be in for a shock. It’s all about spending now. Plus, Mexico’s added a sneaky new tax, private islands are charging $20 for pool noodles, and drink packages aren’t working where they should. Oh, and a 5-year-old went overboard on Disney. She’s okay, but the story is wild. We’re breaking it all down: what’s changing, what’s fair, and what might make you rethink your next cruise.
Chapters (0:28) Did Carnival just wipe out your loyalty perks? (4:06) Will Mexico’s new cruise tax change your travel plans? (5:44) Would you pay $20 to rent a pool noodle? (6:47) Why doesn’t your drink package work at Carnival’s private islands? (8:10) Is Royal Caribbean’s beach club worth $170 a day? (9:51) What really happened during the Disney overboard rescue? (13:01) Should every cruiser have travel insurance? (14:18) Is Galveston becoming the next cruise hotspot?
Please note that sometimes, my posts contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission through purchases, but this does not affect you as a consumer or cost you more in any way. I appreciate your use of my links, as this helps support my channel. ♥️
Wondering what to pack for a cruise? This list consists of some of the best and most affordable items to buy and throw into your suitcase before you head to the port.
These affordable cruise hack items are a must-have for regular cruisers. (Photo Credit: Cruise Fever)
On my first cruise I packed way too much. The giant suitcase was jam packed with things I never really needed for a cruise.
I should have removed half of what I brought and replaced it with most of things on this list. Now, after cruising consistently for 14+ years I know better.
The items on this list are affordable products that veteran cruisers bring on just about every cruise vacation. Most of them are $10-$15 and they solve all kinds of problems and issues that you might face while at sea.
*This post contains affiliate links and we may receive compensation if you make any purchases on Amazon through them. Thank you for your support.
Here are 35 cheap cruise hacks you’ll wish you knew about sooner:
1. Magnet hooks
Cruise cabins are basically giant metal boxes. Since the walls and ceiling are metal, they are perfect for magnets to make your life easier.
I can’t recommend this one enough. Magnet hooks are a lifesaver in cruise ship cabins. There is never enough counter space, so magnet hooks are a great way to hang a hamper, clothing, bags, and other items. I like to use magnet hooks to hang up my hat and hoodie by the door as well. Just don’t pack them next to your electronics.
Buy magnetic hooks on Amazon here =>
2. Magnet clips
Magnet clips are another great way to organize your cabin space. You can use them to clip papers like the cruise planner you get in your cabin each day or maybe print outs about your excursions. Some people use magnetic clips for cabin door decorations too, as you aren’t allowed to use tape.
Buy magnetic clips on Amazon here =>
3. Luggage tag holders
Paper luggage tags are notorious for being ripped to shreds before your suitcase can make it to your cabin door. Plastic luggage tag holders help protect them and keep them from falling off your bags. This can save you from a huge headache in your bag being delayed or lost, so it’s well worth the small investment.
Buy cruise luggage tag holders on Amazon here =>
4. Quick-dry travel towel
Having a towel on you that dries 10 times faster than a normal towel is pretty awesome. On a beach day you don’t want to have to lug around a wet towel when you’re on your way back to the ship.
These small quick-dry towels are light and easy to carry and perfect for a day in port.
Buy this quick-dry towel on Amazon here =>
5. Flotation strap
If you’re worried about dropping your phone while kayaking or enjoying other water activities, a float strap will be the perfect solution.
If you have an especially heavy phone you might need to buy two wrist-straps as each one can carry about 150 grams of weight.
Buy a floating wrist-strap on Amazon here =>
6. DEET-free mosquito bracelets
On the topic of bracelets, this mosquito repellent wrist-band can be essential in certain cruise ports where those blood-sucking insects can be awful.
If you don’t want to use DEET as a mosquito-repellent, a bracelet like this is safe and effective and won’t wash off when you go for a swim.
Buy a mosquito-repellent bracelet on Amazon here =>
7. Cruise card lanyard
A cruise card lanyard is a great way to keep your cruise card close at hand and protect it from damage. Some cruisers like to wear their cruise card lanyard around their neck, so they don’t have to worry about losing it or misplacing it.
This could be helpful if you’re traveling with children as well.
Buy a cruise card lanyard on Amazon here =>
8. Collapsible straws
With some cruise lines starting to do away with plastic straws, bringing your own might be a good idea. If you’re like me, you can’t stand the taste and texture of a cardboard straw. Instead, you can buy a rubber straw that folds up into a container or bring a metal collapsible straw for all your trips.
Buy a set of collapsible travel straws on Amazon here =>
9. Water shoes
If you love to snorkel and will be spending time in the ocean checking out some amazing coral and colorful fish, you will want some water shoes. Also, certain beaches have a lot of jagged and rocky coastlines that can really cut up your feet if you don’t have some protection. Water shoes lay flat in your suitcase and will save your feet from problems later on.
Check out water shoes on Amazon here =>
10. Mesh beach bag
Another great beach day accessory, mesh beach bag offers a convenient way to carry your beach gear without tracking sand and water all over your cruise ship cabin. It is also easy to rinse out and dry, and the see-through nature of the bag helps make sure you have everything you need at a quick glance.
Buy a mesh beach bag on Amazon here =>
11. Lip balm with sunblock
Lip balm is a must-have for any cruise passenger, as the sun and wind can dry out your lips quickly. I like to use lip balm with SPF protection to protect my lips from the sun’s harmful UV rays when on a cruise to the Bahamas or Caribbean. The sun is way more intense in these regions than most Americans are used to.
Buy SPF 30 lip balm on Amazon here =>
12. Reef safe sunscreen
You’d be surprised at how harmful some common sunscreen ingredients can be for coral reefs. Coral can die quickly with exposure to chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate that are found in many sunblock lotions. Reef safe sunscreens are made without harmful chemicals that can damage coral. Certain areas actually will restrict sunscreen with the aforementioned chemicals.
Buy reef-safe sunscreen on Amazon here =>
13. Collapsible water bottles
Collapsible water bottles are a great way to stay hydrated on your cruise ship. You can fill them up in your stateroom or at the water fountains and carry them with you wherever you go.
And since they are collapsible they won’t take up much room in your suitcase.
Buy this collapsible water bottle on Amazon here =>
14. Waterproof phone pouch
Many cell phones are advertised as waterproof or at least water resistant. But in my experience using smartphones under the water to capture video of some tropical fish, always carries a risk. I’ve had to place my phone in a bag of rice more than once after a cruise because the tiniest bit of water messed things up and wouldn’t allow it to charge properly. Use a waterproof pouch so you don’t have to worry about it, especially if you already have a crack on your screen.
A waterproof phone case pouch is a great way to protect your phone from water damage while swimming, snorkeling, or kayaking. It is also a great way to protect your phone from sand and dust
Buy a waterproof phone pouch on Amazon here =>
15. Fragrance spray
Those cruise ship cabins are on the small side, and ventilation isn’t always that great. Don’t let unpleasant aromas from the bathroom or dirty laundry ruin the experience. This is especially important if you are in an interior stateroom without access to some outside air. Some fragrance spray can be a lifesaver if traveling as a family too.
Whether it’s some Febreze spray, a travel size bottle of Poo-Pourri, or both, pack some fragrance spray of your choice for a better experience.
Buy some travel fragrance spray on Amazon here =>
16. Pop-up hamper
A pop-up hamper is a great way to keep your dirty clothes organized and out of sight in your cruise ship cabin. I like to use a pop up hamper that folds up flat so that I can easily pack it in my suitcase. Some cruisers like to use hanging mesh hampers in combination with some magnetic hooks as well.
Buy a popup hamper on Amazon here =>
17. Electronics organizer bag
An electronics organizer bag is a great way to keep your electronic devices like phones, cameras, cables, etc. organized in your cabin. All those charging cables, USB cables, and earbuds can easily get lost in the shuffle, so keeping them all in one place both for packing and use on the ship can come in handy.
Buy an electronics organizer bag here on Amazon =>
18. Travel hangers
You can always ask your cabin steward for extra hangers, but some people like to have their own with clips and other features. Travel hangers are lightweight and foldable hangers that are perfect for packing in your cruise ship cabin. You can also use these for drying wet clothes when the shower clothes line is full.
Buy travel hangers on Amazon here =>
19. Towel clips set
Contrary to common belief, these aren’t for saving deck loungers, but simply to make sure your towel doesn’t fly off in the sea breeze. Of course, you can hold your spot for a few minutes with them, but even when you’re lying on a lounger the wind can pull the towel off the chair and onto your face or the deck floor. You can find all kinds of towel clips for your next cruise. Towel bands are better if you are going to be on padded loungers.
See towel clips on Amazon here =>
20. Hanging toiletry bag
Those cruise ship bathrooms can be very tiny. A toiletry bag that you can hang from one of your magnetic clips or from a towel wrack is great to have on a cruise.
It also keeps all those bathroom essentials nice and organized.
Buy a hanging toiletry bag on Amazon here =>
21. Tide-to-Go
With most laundry services on a cruise ship costing quite a bit of extra money, having a Tide-to-Go pen should be considered essential. You can stay on top of any stains that inevitable will happen on a cruise, and this little magic pen hardly takes up any room in your bag. You can get a two pack for around $10 and always be ready.
Buy Tide-to-Go pens on Amazon here =>
22. Wrinkle Releaser
With no irons in your cabin, getting wrinkles out of clothes is always an ordeal on a cruise ship, especially since many ships don’t have self-service laundry rooms these days. I like to use a travel-size Downy Wrinkle Release on my clothes that I will spray right after I unpack. This gets most of the wrinkles out so I can at least be presentable.
Buy travel size Downy Wrinkle Releaser here =>
23. Mini first aid kit
You don’t need to bring the entire medicine cabinet from back home. But having a mini first aid kit can save you a few bucks when there are minor cuts and burns. The medical center on a cruise ship can cost a pretty penny, so if it’s something very minor that you can take care of yourself this little kit can help. This is especially handy if traveling with small children.
Buy this first aid kit on Amazon here =>
24. Waterproof Band-Aids/Bandages
Part of your first aid kit should be waterproof bandages, and since most of these kits don’t come with bandages like this you will have to buy them separately. Whether you get cut while walking on some jagged rocks at the beach or develop a blister from wearing sandals all day long, a waterproof Band-Aid will stay on even when wet. After all, no one wants to see a Band-Aid on the floor that fell off because it wasn’t waterproof.
Buy waterproof bandages on Amazon here =>
25. Hand held mini fan
At first glance, this might appear to be an unnecessary luxury, but that perspective changes quickly when you find yourself sweltering in 100-degree heat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. On longer excursions where you can’t escape the heat for hours, a portable fan can prove ever so necessary. And this one charges with a simple USB cable.
Buy this mini fan on Amazon here =>
26. Multi-plug power outlet (without surge protection)
Most modern cruise ships have more electrical outlets than older ships, but it never seems like enough with all the devices most cruisers bring with them. A multi plug power strip can come in handy. Just make sure it does NOT have a surge protector, as that is not allowed on a cruise ship because it cases problems with the ship’s electrical system.
Buy this multi plug outlet on Amazon here =>
27. Over the door shoe organizer
Some people hate these, and others love them. There was even a time when some cruise lines banned them. For the ultra-organized an over the door organizer can be used for shoes, clothes, sunscreen, bug spray, and all kinds of smaller items that don’t need to take up counter space. If your cabin has plenty of drawer space at least this over the door organizer did not take up much room anyway.
Buy an over-the-door shoe organizer here =>
28. Night light (motion sensor)
For those interior cabins, the darkness of the room can make for some great sleeping conditions. But stubbing your toe in the middle of the night because you can’t see can be avoided by having a motion sensing night light. Just place it low enough so it doesn’t trigger when you’re rolling over. This night light is battery powered and can be placed anywhere you’d like.
Buy this motion sensing night light here on Amazon =>
29. AirTags or SmartTags
Anyone who checks baggage when flying should have one of these trackers already. But on a cruise ship they can come in very handy. Use AirTags or SmartTags in your baggage to make sure your luggage makes it to your room, and if it doesn’t you at least will know where it is instead of playing the guessing game and hoping you will end up with your belongings before the cruise is over.
This one costs a little more than other items on the list, but it had to be mentioned because it can save cruisers from so much frustration.
Buy AirTags on Amazon here => Buy SmartTags on Amazon here =>
30. Packing cubes set
A packing cubes set is a great way to organize your clothes and other belongings in your suitcase. It keeps every type of article of clothing together and makes unpacking a breeze when you finally make it to your stateroom on embarkation day. This is key for light packing on a cruise.
Buy packing cubes on Amazon here =>
31. Passport holder wallet
A passport holder wallet is a great way to keep your passport, cards, and a little cash all protected while you are traveling. This helps keep all of the essentials together. I recommend getting one with RFID blocking as well, especially if you will be traveling with your passport on you off the ship.
Buy a passport holder wallet here =>
32. Bonine
Bonine is an over-the-counter medication that can be used to prevent motion sickness. You can buy the chewable tablets and be prepared for any rough seas on your cruise. It’s supposed to make most people less drowsy than Dramamine but your experience may differ.
Buy Bonine on Amazon here =>
33. Sea-Band
For those who want a drug-free approach to handling seasickness, a company called Sea-Band has created a wristband for natural relief. It may not work for everyone, but if it works for you then you may not have to take any Bonine or Dramamine to take care of any nausea you are experiencing.
Buy Sea-Band wristbands on Amazon here =>
34. Ginger candy
Ginger is another natural remedy for motion sickness. Ginger has been shown to be effective in reducing nausea and vomiting, and it is safe for most people to consume. Ginger candies are a convenient and easy way to take ginger for motion sickness, and they can be found at most drugstores and grocery stores.
Buy Gin-Gins ginger candy on Amazon here =>
35. Aloe
Never underestimate how badly you will need some aloe after you have also underestimated how badly you were cooking under that tropical sun. Sure, you can just buy this in the shop on the cruise ship, but it will cost you a pretty penny and you will be so desperate to get some relief from your skin burning you probably won’t even hesitate. Bring a small bottle of it instead.
Buy aloe soothing gel on Amazon here =>
What items do you like to bring on every cruise? Does this list give you any ides for other very affordable essentials that would be must-haves on your next cruise? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Cruise Fever
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Holland America’s MS Nieuw Amsterdam has been a fan favourite since 2010.
She’s a Signature-class ship, meaning she offers slightly more space and accommodation options than the Vista-class ships she expanded on. But not all of her cabins are created equal.
Whether you’re cruising on a budget or looking to upgrade, this guide breaks down the best and worst staterooms on board. With real passenger reviews and insider tips from the ship’s deck plans, you can be confident about choosing the perfect spot.
MS Nieuw Amsterdam Cabin Types
There are four main cabin types you can choose from on MS Nieuw Amsterdam. These each have subtypes of cabins within them…
Inside – Standard, Large or Large Spa
Ocean View – Large, Large Obstructed or Large Spa
Verandah – Standard, Aft-View or Spa
Suites – Signature, Neptune, Neptune Spa or Pinnacle
Let’s take more of a look at each of these cabin types, so you can get an idea of which one is the best for you…
Interior Staterooms On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
MS Nieuw Amsterdamhas three different types of Inside cabins that you can book:
Room
Sleeps
Size
Standard
2 people
141-284 sq. ft.
Large
2-4 people
169-267 sq. ft.
Spa
2 people
141-284 sq. ft.
As they are with any cruise ship, Interior cabins are always going to be the cheapest option. They’re great if you’re on a budget and plan on spending most of your time outside of your cabin, exploring everything that MS Nieuw Amsterdam has to offer.
There are three different types on MS Nieuw Amsterdam, including Standard and Large. Both of these have two twin beds, which are convertible into a single Queen bed if preferred – you just need to let your cabin attendant know.
Some of the Large Interior Staterooms sleep 3 or 4 guests. There’ll always be a sofa-bed, and those quad rooms will have an additional upper bed for a fourth guest.
I often like to cruise in the cheapest inside stateroom with my children, so these would be the rooms to go for on this ship. But honestly, if you’re looking for the cheapest family cruise, Holland America probably isn’t the cruise line for you. It’s a more premium option.
The third type of Interior Stateroom is a Spa Interior Stateroom – more on those in a little bit.
Ocean View Staterooms On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
There are three types of Ocean View Stateroom available for guests to book on MS Nieuw Amsterdam. These are:
Room
Sleeps
Size
Large
2-4 people
169-267 sq. ft.
Large Obstructed
2-3 people
169-267 sq. ft.
Large Spa
2 people
169-267 sq. ft.
The next step up from an Interior Stateroom, Ocean View Staterooms have a window that lets you see out over the ocean. The window is nice and big, and lets a lot of bright, natural light into the room.
It’s also handy if you just want to check what you should be wearing before you head out of your cabin for the day – it’s more reliable to look out the window than check any weather app you might have on your phone, after all!
As all of the Ocean View Staterooms on Nieuw Amsterdam are considered ‘large’, they are considerably larger than the Inside Staterooms.
Some of the Ocean View staterooms – those on Deck 4 – have an obstructed view. This is because the lifeboats are stored directly outside the room. Some are classified as fully obstructed, while others are partially obstructed.
They’re cheaper, as you’d hope, and they’re a good choice if you don’t care about the view but just want the natural light.
Again, there are Spa versions of Ocean View staterooms, and there are also some that suit families with options for 3 or 4 guests. And again, those for 4 people have a sofa bed and a Pullman bed.
Verandah Staterooms On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
Here are the three types of Verandah Stateroom on MS Nieuw Amsterdam:
Room
Sleeps
Size
Standard
2-4 people
213-379 sq. ft.
Aft-View
2 people
213-379 sq. ft.
Spa
2 people
213-379 sq. ft
Verandah Staterooms are always some of the most popular on a cruise ship. You don’t just get a view, but you get your own private balcony where you can sit and soak up the fresh sea breeze, and hopefully some of the warm sun too.
Verandah Staterooms are an ideal choice if you like to spend more time in your stateroom. It’s always refreshing to sit on your balcony on a pleasant day, drink in one hand, book in another.
There are three types of Verandah Stateroom, and the room sizes above include the balcony floor space too.
Of the Standard Verandah Staterooms, some are suitable for 3 or 4 guests. So your kids can enjoy the view with you, although you will only get two chairs on the balcony.
Aft-View Verandah Staterooms often book up first. They have what many consider to be the best views of the ship, overlooking the wake as you sail. Plus, you tend to be more shielded from the wind. You will pay a little more for the privilege, though.
Finally, there are also Spa Verandah Staterooms that you can book. (More on those below).
Suites On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
The different types of Suite on MS Nieuw Amsterdamare:
Room
Sleeps
Size
Signature Suite
2-3 people
273–456 sq. ft.
Neptune Suite
2-4 people
506–590 sq. ft.
Spa Neptune Suite
2-4 people
506–590 sq. ft.
Pinnacle Suite
2-4 people
1,357 sq. ft.
There are three main types of suites on MS Nieuw Amsterdam. She doesn’t have any Vista Suites like you’ll find on some other ships in the Holland America fleet, but considering how Vista Suites aren’t much better than a Verandah Stateroom, that’s no big loss.
Signature Suites
Signature Suites are really the start of the real suite class for Holland America ships, with a much more spacious room and a longer list of perks that you get, although it’s still not super-lengthy.
You get a queen-size bed (worth noting, as some Signature Suites on other ships get you a king-sized one) and a sofa bed for a third guest.
Neptune Suites
Neptune Suites are larger again, and they have a lot more additional benefits. Just a heads up if you were checking the deck plans yourself – Neptune Suites are marked as sleeping up to three guests, but their sofa beds are bigger and can accommodate two smaller guests. So you can comfortably fit four people in one.
Pinnacle Suites
Pinnacle Suites are the very best rooms on Nieuw Amsterdam. They’re extremely spacious with a Verandah that’s bigger than most of the actual staterooms on the ship!
There’s a whirlpool on the balcony and an oversized whirlpool bath in the bathroom as well. Again, a sofa bed large enough for two guests is included if you want to enjoy this suite with your family.
If you like the idea of a suite but aren’t sure which to choose, then you should be sure to compare the different perks that you get with each. Take a look at my Holland America Line Suite Benefits Guide to find out more.
Special Cabin Types On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
Beyond the standard selection of staterooms on MS Nieuw Amsterdam, there are a few more choices you can make.
Spa Suites and Staterooms
A popular choice for guests who like to pamper themselves, MS Nieuw Amsterdam has a selection of Spa Suites and Staterooms to choose from, across the Interior, Ocean View, Verandah and Neptune Suite categories.
These staterooms and suites are no bigger than their non-spa counterparts, but what sets them apart is their location and the facilities you’ll find in the room.
These accommodations are all situated close to the Greenhouse Spa & Salon, so you never have far to travel if you want to enjoy a relaxing massage or beauty treatment.
Inside the rooms, you’ll also find a selection of spa-themed amenities, including organic bathrobes and slippers, upgraded toiletries, and a loofah mitt with bath salts.
You’ll also get yoga mats and pedometers to help you stay active during your cruise, while the room has a countertop water feature so that you can set the perfect relaxing ambience.
If you’re someone who likes visiting the ship’s spa during your cruise, then these rooms are absolutely worth checking out. Otherwise, the additional cost means they probably aren’t worth it for you.
Accessible Rooms
Almost all cruise ships have accessible stateroom and suite options – designed for guests with additional accessibility needs. And MS Nieuw Amsterdam is no different.
On MS Nieuw Amsterdam, the accessible rooms are split into two categories – Ambulatory Accessible and Fully Accessible.
Ambulatory Accessible rooms are those which aren’t designed for wheelchair users, but have small modifications to handle other accessibility needs for guests. On MS Nieuw Amsterdam, these rooms include:
14 Verandah Staterooms
6 Ocean View Staterooms
Fully Accessible rooms are suitable for wheelchair users, with widened doorways and a roll-in shower. These include:
2 Neptune Suites
2 Signature Suites
2 Verandah Staterooms
4 Interior Staterooms
Connecting Rooms
While there are some staterooms on MS Nieuw Amsterdam that are suitable for 3 or 4 guests, the additional beds aren’t the biggest. They’re fine if you’re travelling with younger children, but for teenagers or other adults, they will be a little cramped.
But there is another option – there are connecting cabins that guests can book if they want two staterooms side-by-side. These have a doorway between them, which is normally locked. If your party has booked both rooms, you can ask for the door to be unlocked, giving all guests access to both rooms.
Connecting rooms are available for Interior, Ocean View and Verandah Staterooms, and if you request a connecting Verandah, then the balconies can also be connected, opening up that space more too.
You can even book a Neptune Suite and a Verandah Stateroom with connecting doors if you want to really maximise your space.
How To Choose The Best Room
There are a lot of different decisions that factor into picking the best cabin for your cruise, and as you can tell, there are many different stateroom options on MS Nieuw Amsterdam to choose from too!
To help you out, I’ve created a checklist that you can work from, which will tell you what you should be looking for when you decide to book a cruise.
All you need to do is pop your email address below and it’ll be sent straight to your inbox.
MS Nieuw Amsterdam Cabin Grades
When choosing the best room on Nieuw Amsterdam, one thing that you’ll need to get your head around is the cabin grades.
Every cruise ship labels rooms with a cabin grade – this is usually one or two letters at the start of the room number, which tell you what kind of room it is.
Different cruise lines have systems that vary slightly, but with Holland America, you just need to know what the letters stand for – that tells you the type of room. Then the digits afterwards will tell you what deck you are on, and specifically which room you’re in.
If your cabin has a four-digit number, then it’s on the first 9 public decks, from the Main Deck (staterooms 1001-1130) right up to the Navigation Deck (staterooms 8001-8175). There are no staterooms on the ninth deck, which is the Lido Deck.
If your cabin has a five-digit number, it means you’re either on the tenth deck, which is the Panorama Deck (staterooms 10001-10046) or the Observation Deck (staterooms 11001-11010).
Here’s a rundown of the different grades of cabins on MS Nieuw Amsterdam:
Cabin Grade
Type
PS
Pinnacle Suite
SQ
Spa Neptune Suite
SA, SB, SC
Neptune Suite
SS, SY, SZ
Signature Suite
VQ
Spa Verandah Stateroom
V, VA, VB, VC, VD, VE, VF, VH
Verandah Stateroom
CQ
Spa Ocean View Stateroom
C, D, DD, E, F
Ocean View Stateroom
G
Ocean View Stateroom – Partially Obstructed View
H, HH
Ocean View Stateroom – Fully Obstructed View
IQ
Spa Interior Stateroom
I, J, K, L, M, MM, N
Interior Stateroom
The Worst Cabins On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
Now, before we get to the best cabins on this ship, let’s take a look at some rooms that you may wish to avoid.
It’s not that these are always bad, but depending on your circumstances, you may wish to steer clear of these rooms…
1. Cabins That Could Make You Seasick
8118 to 8175, 10001 to 10046, 11001 to 11010
Some people are more prone to getting seasick than others, and most cruise passengers never need to worry about it. However, if you are one of the unlucky ones who suffers, there are certain staterooms you should avoid that can make things worse.
Those are mainly the staterooms and suites on Decks 10 and 11, at the very front of the ship. This is where you’ll feel the most motion.
It’s not a terrible problem on MS Nieuw Amsterdam – the ship is medium-sized in terms of cruise ships, which helps (the bigger the ship, the less you feel the movement). And it has modern stabilisers.
Some cabins at the aft of the ship can feel the effects too, particularly nearer the top, so consider avoiding the rear cabins on Deck 8. This isn’t helped thanks to the sponson, which is the ducktail of the ship that extends from the stern – this can cause the occasional shudder on the aft-facing cabins, which isn’t pleasant if your stomach is churning.
If you do suffer from seasickness, choose a mid-ship cabin on a lower deck.
2. Spa Staterooms And Suites If You’re Not Interested
Cabin grades SQ, VQ, CQ and IQ
The option of booking a Spa stateroom or suite on MS Nieuw Amsterdam is good if you’re someone who is really into their spa treatments and lifestyle. The fact that you’re so close to the spa is convenient, and the additional touches in your room can make it feel much nicer.
But they are just little touches – so think about whether you’ll really use the yoga mats and the pedometer, or if you’d want to have the countertop water feature running.
If you’re not sure, then is it worth paying the premium for one of these staterooms, especially if you plan on spending most of your time elsewhere on the ship? The answer’s probably no.
Depending on your sailing, a spa stateroom might not cost much more than its equivalent standard room in the same category, so it’s up to you – but if the costs are substantially different, really weigh up if it’s worth the extra.
You can always take your own yoga mat.
3. Connecting Staterooms If You Don’t Use Them
Various
On any cruise ship, connecting staterooms are handy for families and larger groups. Even more so on MS Nieuw Amsterdam, where there aren’t as many standard staterooms that sleep more than two guests.
But that’s not the reason to avoid booking them if you don’t need them. True, someone else might make better use of them, but there’s an even more practical reason why you should avoid them if you won’t be booking the adjacent room too.
Cruise ship staterooms are made from a metal frame, which offers a decent level of soundproofing. Cut a door into it – even a closed one – and that soundproofing is partially compromised.
The door may stay locked, but you’ll likely hear your neighbours, especially if they’re loud. Which also means they may hear you.
If you value your privacy, book a non-connecting room instead.
4. Obstructed Ocean View Staterooms
4055 to 4130
This really depends on whether the view is important to you or if you just like the idea of having some natural light.
Obstructed Ocean View Staterooms are situated on Deck 4 and are facing the lifeboats, so your view is going to be at least partially blocked – how much so depends on the individual stateroom.
If you don’t care about the view, then these are a good option since they’re cheaper.
And if the view does matter to you, then you won’t want it spoiled by a reminder of the emergency boats attached to the ship.
5. Verandah Staterooms With Solid-Steel Railings
4001 to 4042
Some Verandah Staterooms also offer a limited view, except that this is a little different.
These staterooms are situated at the front of the ship, where the wind is at its strongest. As such, the plexiglass that would normally be used for a railing isn’t strong enough, meaning they’re made from solid steel, which you can’t see through.
This isn’t ever a problem if you’re standing up, but if you like to sit on your balcony, your view is definitely going to be impacted. The sky will look pretty at least!
The worst part is that these aren’t considered Obstructed View, so they don’t get the same discounts – after all, your view is completely uninterrupted if you don’t mind standing at the railing.
While these balconies are larger than average, they will be less comfortable due to the wind, so you may wish to look elsewhere.
6. Rooms Directly Above The Mainstage
4001 to 4050
The Mainstage is a fantastic theatre on the ship, taking up the height of two decks on the Lower Promenade Deck (Deck 2) and the Promenade Deck (Deck 3).
Because it’s so impressive, and it hosts amazing live performances, they have quite a sound system in order to fill the room. And if you’ve booked a cabin on the Upper Promenade Deck directly above (Deck 4), then that sound may well carry through the floor.
The live entertainment shows don’t run too late, but if you’re someone who likes to be up early and then get an early night ahead of the next day, you might be disturbed.
Thankfully, the bars that are open later into the evening are situated above staterooms on Deck 1, and the sound tends to travel upwards, so it’s not too bad late into the night. It’s just those evening hours when music and theatre performances at the World Stage may cause you problems if your room is close by.
7. Rooms Directly Below The Pools
8027 to 8077
If you’ve just read the section above and thought that the sound of the World Stage wouldn’t concern you, as you like to stay up at night, then definitely avoid the rooms directly below the Sea View and Lido pools.
You won’t hear the noise at night here, because it just disperses into the open air. But what you may well hear is the sound of people grabbing a lounger first thing in the morning or of tables and chairs being put out.
And not just reserving a lounger, but dragging it along the decked floor – and that is a sound that will carry right through your ceiling.
If you appreciate a good lie-in, and you don’t want early risers on the pool deck waking you up, book a room elsewhere on the ship.
On most decks of MS Nieuw Amsterdam, there are 14 elevators/lifts to help passengers get from floor to floor. Four of these are nearer the front of the ship and four are towards the aft, but the more problematic ones are right in the middle of the ship.
Because there are six elevators here, most passengers tend to come here because there’s a greater chance of them getting a ride. But they are adjacent to rooms on most floors, too.
So if you get a stateroom or suite alongside this area, you might hear a lot of noise, not so much from the elevators themselves but from the congregating passengers.
The Best Cabins On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
So those are the worst cabins you could book on MS Nieuw Amsterdam – depending on you and your travelling party. What about the best? Which are the real gems of the ship that are always worth your consideration? Let’s take a look…
1. Extended Balcony Rooms
4166, 4168
There are two staterooms on Nieuw Amsterdam that come with huge balconies, for no extra cost. In fact, these are four times as big as a standard balcony – a huge 205 square feet! They also come with four lounge chairs rather than the standard two.
The reason that these exist is that there is a crew stairwell next door. That means that these rooms get the balcony from what would be the next-door cabin in addition to their own. So they’re double-width.
And because these cabins are at the aft of Deck 4, they’re double depth as well. Bonus!
These rooms will likely sell out quite quickly, but it’s certainly worth checking to see if they are available on your cruise.
There are other rooms with larger balconies too, where the ship draws inwards at the middle of the ship, but these tend to cost more than the equivalent rooms in the same category.
The most sought-after views on most cruise ships are those over the wake at the aft of the ship. As you’re sailing, you get to see the churning waters you leave behind, and you have the benefit of shelter as the ship moves in the opposite direction.
There are Neptune Suites with an aft-view as well, but these are a lot more expensive. So while they are great choices, you do have to pay that premium to get the view.
3. Pinnacle Suite
PS7031, PS7036
No list of the best accommodations on the Nieuw Amsterdam cruise ship would be complete without a mention of the Pinnacle Suites, the largest suites on the ship by a significant distance.
As a guide, you could fit as many as six Interior Staterooms inside the Pinnacle Suite, and that’s just the indoor space – the balcony is also twice the size of the smaller Interior Staterooms, too.
It’s not just about space, though – the amenities and the perks you get for booking this suite are what really make it special. Relax in a whirlpool bath, enjoy a complimentary Mimosa each morning in your suite with breakfast, and skip past lines almost everywhere on the ship – you’ll really get the VIP treatment.
It is, of course, extremely expensive compared to other staterooms and suites, so it’s not for everyone. But if you have the budget available and want to treat yourself, it’s a fine choice.
4. Navigation Deck Aft Staterooms If You Smoke
8118 to 8175
On most cruise ships these days, you are very limited in where you can smoke. It’s banned in your stateroom (including on the balcony) and in most public areas of the ship. On the Nieuw Amsterdam ship, there are two smoking areas – the casino, if you’re playing, and the Sea View Bar on Deck 9.
If you’re a smoker (which includes e-cigs), it can be inconvenient to trek halfway across the ship when you want to smoke. But there are some staterooms situated just one deck below the Sea View Bar, so it’s only a short walk to the staircase or the elevator and you’re in a comfortable, sheltered smoking space.
Don’t worry if you’re a non-smoker and you book one of these rooms – it doesn’t tend to drift down, since it is an open-air bar – the wind will carry the smoke away. That makes these rooms a good choice for smokers, but not a bad choice for non-smokers.
Unless you get seasick, as these are some of the cabins I’d suggest avoiding for that reason, too.
The Best Deck On MS Nieuw Amsterdam
The best decks on MS Nieuw Amsterdamare the Verandah Deck (Deck 5), the Upper Verandah Deck (Deck 6) and the Rotterdam Deck (Deck 7). These decks are surrounded by staterooms above and below, and so are best shielded from noise.
But really, most people across any deck won’t have many problems at all with sound coming through the floor or ceiling, so they are likely to be fine.
The best deck could instead come down to whether you’re prone to seasickness (aim for a lower deck) or you want to be nearer the pool (aim for a higher deck).
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Final Thoughts
Despite not being the newest ship in the Holland America fleet, MS Nieuw Amsterdam is still a great choice for your cruise. She is well-maintained, and her accommodation options are excellent, so choosing between them can sometimes be tricky.
But with this guide, you should find it much easier to narrow down your options and find the one that best works for you. And remember, while I’ve called out the ‘worst’ staterooms on the ship, that doesn’t mean they are ‘bad’.
If you still have any questions about the accommodation on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam, then those would be excellent places to ask. There aren’t any ship-specific Facebook groups for Nieuw Amsterdam, but the main Holland America one should be able to help.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
I recently had the opportunity to spend several nights at Holland America Line’s Denali Lodge in Alaska. The lodge is located just outside of Denali National Park and is part of their cruisetours in the 49th State.
I have previously been on several cruises to Alaska but have never stayed in a cruise line lodge. When Holland America Line invited me to visit their Denali Lodge, I was excited to see and experience what their cruisetours were all about.
For those who aren’t familiar with Holland America’s cruisetours, they are extra days on land that can be added to select cruises to Alaska. You can add on anywhere from two to 10 days to their seven-day Glacier Discovery cruise. These are the one-way cruises between Vancouver and Whittier.
The cruisetours can be done before or after the week-long cruise, but I think I personally prefer to do it after the cruise.
The cruisetours include the train ride up to Denali, the Tundra Wilderness Tour, and a stay at the Denali Lodge, located one mile from the entrance to Denali National Park.
Here is my experience staying at the lodge (post-cruise), what I loved, and reasons why you should consider a cruisetour to Alaska.
Train
The cruisetour starts with a 10 hour train ride on the McKinney Explorer from Whittier, Alaska, where the cruise ends, to Denali.
It’s a two-story train with assigned seating up top and a restaurant and small lounge area on the bottom deck. There is also area where you can go outside to get some great photos or just some fresh air.
The second level of the train has glass sides and roof, perfect for view and spotting wildlife in Alaska.
In the photo below, you can see the small lounge area and the part of the railroad car where you can go outside.
Lodge
Holland America Line’s Denali Lodge is located right next to the Nenana River and next door to Princess Cruises’ Wilderness Lodge. My first thought after arriving at the lodge was “I could stay here for a week”.
I stayed in the Cottonwoods building facing the river and I absolutely loved it. My first morning there, I stepped outside and saw a moose and her baby grazing beside the river. You never know what wildlife you will see here.
My room in the Cottonwoods BuildingMy porch by the river
The buildings are spread out over 60 acres, but they have shuttles that will take you around the property so you don’t have to walk. There are 28 different buildings that you can stay in, 11 up top by the Main Lodge and 17 down below by the river. I was told that the older 11 buildings up top are being torn down and replaced.
The lower part of the Holland America Denali Lodge from the scenic overlook.
My favorite part of the entire property was Denali Square, it is the main social hub of the lodge. There are two dining options here, several shops that include an Artist in Residence, firepits and live music at night.
Denali Square
The two dining options at Denali Square are Karsten’s Public House and the Music of Denali. The Music of Denali is a family-style dinner show with a fun musical about the history of Denali. I really enjoyed dining at both.
There is also a walking trail along the river that I spent time on each morning while sipping on my coffee. It was a great way to kick off each day that I was there.
Walking trail along the river
Denali National Park
One of the best features of Holland America’s Denali Lodge is that it’s only a mile away from Denali National Park. You can walk to it or take the free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes. I walked the first day and took the shuttle the second.
I spent several days at the park, hiking trails and just enjoying the beauty of Alaska.
Horsehead Lake Trail is one of the most popular trails to hike and it was gorgeous. It’s a trail that I would definitely hike again on my next visit.
Excursions
Holland America Line includes a free excursion for everyone staying three or more days at the lodge. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is a bus ride that explores the beauty of the national park and the wildlife that lives there.
There are also a good variety of excursions that you can book while you are staying at the lodge so you can experience more of Alaska. I booked the Denali Glacier Landing by Helicopter tour and it was one of the most incredible tours I’ve done on a cruise/land tour.
The ride to the glacier gave us incredible views of the mountains and wildlife. We saw a herd of 150 caribou on the ride to the glacier and along with a waterfall.
The Yanert Glacier at the base of Mt. Deborah
We landed on the Yanert Glacier and spent 20-25 minutes walking around on it before heading back.
The tour is a bit pricey but I highly recommend it. It’s an experience you’ll talk about for years.
Why Stay in a Lodge?
My favorite part of staying at the Denali Lodge was that you aren’t confined to short days in port like you are while on the cruise portion of the trip. You get more time to explore Alaska and I also found it more relaxing.
You don’t have to worry about rushing and getting back to the ship before it leaves. If you’re out hiking in Denali and want to stop and enjoy the views for as long as you want, you can. The sun didn’t set until after midnight when I was there so you really can make the most of each day.
I also loved sitting by one of the many firepits at night, having a drink, and talking to other travelers.
The cruisetours offered by Holland America Line range from nine- to 18-days in length, including the cruise. This gives you the flexibility to book the right amount of time in Alaska that you want.
After taking this trip, I honestly believe this is the best way to see Alaska. You can visit glaciers and ports on the cruise and then get more of an in-depth look at Alaska on the land portion of the trip. You get the best of both worlds.
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If you’re booking a cruise with Cunard, it’s important to know how onboard tipping works. Daily gratuities are automatically added to each guest’s account, along with extra charges on drinks and spa treatments – and the costs can add up fast.
This info isn’t always easy to find, so I’ve put together a quick guide to help you understand exactly what you’ll pay. That way, there are no surprises when your final bill arrives!
Cunard’s Gratuities Explained
Gratuities (also known as tips) are service charges that are added to your onboard account when sailing with Cunard. When guests pay gratuities, it enables the service staff, including waiters and stateroom stewards, to be rewarded for the work they do, in addition to their wages.
Gratuities are the same price for all four of Cunard’s ships – Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Anne. However, there is a difference in price depending on your accommodation category. This is outlined in more detail below.
There are two types of gratuities on Cunard cruises:
Gratuities for hotel and dining services – Calculated daily
Gratuities for drinks and spa services – Calculated per purchase
It’s worth noting that casino staff do not receive any automatic gratuities, as not all passengers use their services. The tips are shared amongst the hotel, restaurant, bar and salon staff, including those who work behind the scenes.
Every dollar of the gratuity charges goes directly to the crew in these areas and there is no administrative fee.
Gratuities are typically paid off at the end of your cruise, the night before you disembark. You can check your onboard spend using the Cunard free WiFi to log in to your account.
Daily Cost Of Gratuities On Cunard
In 2025, Cunard’s daily gratuities are $16 per person, per night for guests staying in Britannia Staterooms and $18 per person, per night for guests staying in Grill Suites. The charge is the same for adults and children.
On Cunard cruise ships, all bar, wine and salon services have an additional 15% charge for each purchase made. This is in addition to the daily gratuities.
If you buy a Cunard drinks package, you don’t have to pay the 15% gratuity – it’s included in the price of the package.
The gratuities on Cunard are pretty reasonable, and as fellow travel blogger Karen said in her review of Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, the gratuities are “the lowest in the industry”.
Cunard’s Gratuities Are Compulsory
On a Cunard cruise, the gratuities added to each drink and spa service are compulsory. The daily gratuities for hotel and dining services are recommended but can be removed.You can also tip above and beyond the recommended amounts if you wish.
Cunard gratuities for bar, wine and spa services are added to your onboard account automatically along with each purchase. The hotel and dining service charge will appear on your onboard account as a daily charge.
Removing Gratuities On A Cunard Cruise
On a Cunard cruise, you can opt to remove or adjust the daily gratuities (hotel and dining service charge). This can be done at the Guest Services desk once you’re on board the ship.
While some people like to remove daily gratuities and instead tip cash to certain crew members, this isn’t recommended. As well as waiters and staterooms stewards, there are many crew members who offer support behind the scenes, working in the kitchens, laundry rooms and other areas.
If you remove gratuities from your onboard account, the people who work hard that you may never see will lose out financially.
If you have had a bad experience with the service on your cruise and wish to remove the gratuities, you should speak to the staff at Guest Services, who will be able to remove them from your account.
Prepaying Gratuities On Cunard
You cannot prepay for your Cunard gratuities before your cruise. However, you can pre-purchase onboard spending money, which can be used against your hotel and dining service charges, as well as bar, wine and salon service charges.
Log onto your My Cunard account to manage your cruise before you sail.
Tipping Extra On A Cunard Cruise
Whether to tip extra on top of the standard gratuities on your Cunard cruise is entirely down to personal preference. If you feel there is a member of the crew who has gone above and beyond what is expected to make your time on board memorable, you are welcome to reward them individually for doing so.
Each Cunard stateroom has its own steward assigned to it – usually, you will see them making up rooms up and down the ship throughout your sailing. The same steward will make up your stateroom and will likely introduce themselves on your first day of embarkation.
Many people tip their cabin stewards personally, leaving money in an envelope for them in their room on the morning of disembarkation or tipping them personally on their last day. The guest services desk will supply envelopes to those who ask for them.
Other members of staff you will see around the ship on a regular basis include your dining team. When visiting the main dining room, in particular, you will notice the same faces sitting and serving you. Many people will also be assigned an area or specific table throughout the cruise, so you will see familiar faces as the cruise continues.
These are also members of staff who people like to personally tip due to them being seen regularly and shown to make their cruise experience special.
Cunard Cruises With Free Gratuities
For those sailing on Cunard world cruises, promotions are sometimes available, which include complimentary hotel and dining service charges. Look out for these, as they can save you a lot of money.
In some promotions, Cunard offers free onboard spending money. You can use this free spending money to pay for some or all of the gratuities incurred on your cruise, depending on the amount of free credit and the gratuity charge.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest Cunard offers…
Final Thoughts
People often have differing opinions towards paying gratuities. While paying tips comes naturally to Americans, Brits and Australians aren’t used to paying a lot for tips. And the daily gratuities on a cruise can certainly add up to a hefty sum.
Some cruisers like to tip on their own terms and will remove all gratuities to award individual members of staff. Others remove them to save on costs as soon as they step aboard. However, most people will be glad to pay the daily gratuity charge to ensure that every member of staff is rewarded fairly for their hard work.
It’s important to know which you prefer, so you can factor in the cost before you set sail and know where your onboard account will end up at the end of your sailing.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
For those interior cabins, the darkness of the room can make for some great sleeping conditions. But stubbing your toe in the middle of the night because you can’t see can be avoided by having a motion sensing night light. Just place it low enough so it doesn’t trigger when you’re rolling over. This night light is battery powered and can be placed anywhere you’d like.
