Oceania Cruises’ next new cruise ship, Allura, touched water for the first time when the vessel was floated out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy.
Our free cruise newsletter offers the latest cruise news and deals: Sign Up
Photo Credit: Oceania Cruises
This new 1,200 passenger ship from Oceania Cruises will now move to its next stage of construction, its outfitting.
Allura is scheduled to enter service on July 18, 2025, a six day cruise from Trieste, Italy to Athens, Greece.
Following a summer season of cruises in the Mediterranean, the cruise ship will sail to Canada and New England for a series of immersive voyages from Miami to the Caribbean.
As part of her inaugural collection, Allura will also be conducting a one-of-a-kind four-day voyage sailing roundtrip from New York City in September 2025.
Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises, gave the following statement:
“The float out is an important moment for all at Oceania Cruises and Fincantieri, as we progress closer to Allura joining our family. Now that we have completed her shell, we are excited to get started on her interior.”
“We have lots of exciting enhancements on Allura, our eighth vessel, further elevating our offerings and firmly cementing Oceania Cruises as the only ultra-premium cruise brand.”
A few of the features on Allura will be:
Five specialty dining restaurants
Most spacious standard staterooms at sea
A new onboard crêperie
One chef for every 10 guests
An expansive hands-on Culinary Center
Allura will be the eight cruise ship in Oceania’s fleet.
Cruises will often sell out, especially on popular itineraries and ships, but one person on Reddit claims they found a sneaky hack to secure themselves a place onboard.
Normally for a sold out cruise, your only hope is to keep looking for spaces to become available. Some cruise lines may let you add your name to a waiting list too, though you’d need to call them.
But this person claims they managed to trick people into cancelling by using their bigotry against them.
The passenger, who admits to being gay, said that they created a fake Facebook account as a “super conservative woman” and then joined the Facebook page for that cruise.
Passengers will often create Facebook pages for individual sailings to allow guests to meet each other online beforehand, ask any questions, and get to know their future shipmates.
But this passenger claims that once they had joined they posted a lie, saying that they had heard it was a gay cruise and there would be a large group of gay people travelling.
They said that they knew there would be bigoted people in the group who would cancel – and sure enough, the next morning they were able to find a cabin which was now available.
They do claim to feel “kind of guilty” but they said they had a fantastic cruise.
So – ingenious, or wrong?
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss these hot cruise offers…
Related posts
If you found this interesting, please share!
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.
A cruise line has made a change to all bookings that are done while on a cruise. This change went into effect on July 1, 2024.
Our free cruise newsletter offers the latest cruise news and deals: Sign Up
From now on, all payments made for future cruises on a Cunard cruise ship will require the use of a credit card reader. This will be for all payments made via the cruise line’s Onboard Sales team.
The credit card reader will be for all payments for new future bookings, existing bookings and upgrades that are purchased while on a cruise ship.
The card readers will replace making payments directly through POLAR Online. Guests will be required to insert their credit card into readers for payments.
With this new payment process, the initial booking confirmation will indicate a payment of $0 once a booking is made. The payment will be applied to the booking, but this may take up to seven days.
Once the payment is applied, a revised booking confirmation will be issued, reflecting the onboard payment made by the guest.
Cunard is also asking travel agents to forward both copies of the confirmation to their clients.
The cruise line included the following statement in their booking confirmations:
“If you booked your next cruise while on board one of our ships, please allow up to 7 days for the deposit to be applied to your booking. You will receive another confirmation once the deposit has been successfully processed.”
Also, the cruise line is no longer able to process payments onboard for Future Cruise Deposits and therefore, from July 1, 2024, will remove the ability for guests to purchase a Future Cruise Deposit only.
This means that guests will only receive the onboard booking benefits when booking a future voyage.
Cunard is not making any changes to cancellation policies.
Cunard Line is one of nine cruise lines from Carnival Corporation and they currently have four ships in their fleet.
There are four merchandise locations to shop while spending the day ashore at Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Three of the locations are near the Goombay Cultural Center tram stop (B on the map) with one location in Mabrika Cove just off the pier.
First & Last Chance Stand
First & Last Chance Stand (24 on the map) is a retail kiosk in Mabrika Cove offering guests an opportunity to pick up some souvenirs upon first arrival, or one last item as they head back to the ship.
The selection of merchandise features things that you could use during the day such as a waterproof bag for your smartphone, hats, beach bag, beach towels, or beverage containers as well as some small items you may have overlooked at Disney T’ings such as Disney Pins.
Disney T’ings
The primary merchandise location at Disney Lookout Cay is Disney T’ings (25 on the map) which offers a full collection of clothing and accessories by Bahamian fashion designer Theodore Elyett, along with an array of brightly colored Disney Junkanoo-inspired merchandise. Guests can also purchase a variety of island- inspired Disney merchandise reflective of the island experience at Disney T’ings.
Here is a collection of the merchandise that was available in June starting with the offerings on the exterior of the building.
Disney Character Junkanoo-inspired Merchandise
Disney Lookout Cay Logo Merchandise
Theodore Elyett Designed Lookout Cay Merchandise Collection
Lookout Cay Disney Pins
Bahamian Art by Kevin Cooper
Bag with purchase
Finally, Disney T’ings offers a selection of sundries including Copertone sunscreens, Blistex lip balm, baby wipes, Balmex, Baby Powder, swim diapers, tampons, and pads.
Plaits & Pleats
Plaits & Pleats (27 on the map) is the place to go on Lookout Cay for hair braiding. Technically, this is more of a service than merchandise, but the spot is listed on the directory map as a merchandise location.
Treasures of Eleuthera
Treasures of Eleuthera (26 on the map) is a retail shop featuring locally made gifts and artisan crafts. The shop spotlights Bahamian artists through an array of unique items that families will be able to bring home with them as a special keepsake.
On the day of our visit, there was a collection of artwork, handcrafted straw bags, local coffee, and a selection of jewelry created from conch shells.
Most of the imagery shown above is also found in the video below that will also include a little bit of context and a look at the actual layout of the merchandise locations at Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
What do you think about the merchandise collections and shops at Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point?
Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas, is on its way to North America for the first time.
Our free cruise newsletter offers the latest cruise news and deals: Sign Up
Two weeks ago, Royal Caribbean, the world’s largest cruise line, took delivery of Utopia of the Seas. It is the cruise line’s sixth Oasis class ship and the second largest cruise ship ever built.
A few days ago, Utopia of the Seas departed from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and is now crossing the Atlantic Ocean on its way to North America.
According to VesselFinder, Utopia of the Seas is scheduled to arrive in Ponce, Puerto Rico on July 6, 2024.
After a short stay in Puerto Rico, the cruise ship will sail to Florida for its christening, media/preview cruise, and then its maiden voyage.
Utopia of the Seas leaving France and headed to North America
Utopia of the Seas will be named and christened in the middle of July that will be part of a three day preview cruise for media and travel agents.
Right after the preview cruise, Utopia of the Seas will depart on its maiden voyage. This three night cruise will depart from Port Canaveral on July 19, 2024 and visit CocoCay and Nassau.
The cruise ship will homeport at Port Canaveral for at least the next two years sailing three and four night cruises to The Bahamas.
The four night cruises will leave every Monday with the three night weekend cruises leaving every Friday.
Here are a just a few of the amenities that cruisers will enjoy on Utopia of the Seas:
20+ dining options
20+ bars and lounges
Five swimming pools
Eight hot tubs
Four jaw-dropping shows
Five places to catch live music
New immersive train car dining experience
Central Park with live trees and plants
Boardwalk neighborhood
Entertainment found on Utopia of the Seas
Cruise Fever will be on the three day preview cruise so stay tuned as we bring you everything that this new cruise ship from Royal Caribbean has to offer.
This week’s special offers from Disney Cruise Line include dates range from mid-July into March 2025. Currently, there are 35 unique sail dates, available with special offers available across the fleet for sailings from Barcelona, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, Honolulu, Port Canaveral, Southampton, and Vancouver.
The Disney Wish features the most sailings at 23, the Disney Magic and Disney Dream are next in line with 9 followed by the Disney Fantasy at 4 dates, and the Disney Wonder with 2 dates. Currently, there are no offers listed for the Disney Treasure.
Florida Residents rates increased 4 to 12 sail dates, the US Military Personnel is up 1 date to 24 cruises, and the Canadian Resident dropped 2 to 11 sail dates.
Finally, the recently announced limited-time promotion where you pay only 50% of required deposit at time of booking remains available when you book select Disney cruises by August 9, 2024, you will only be required to pay half of the required deposit on the day you make your reservation. This promotion is valid on any new reservation for select Disney cruises aboard the Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Magic and Disney Wish. Eligible departure dates are:
Disney Wonder: October 20, 2024, through February 24, 2025
Disney Dream: January 4, 2025, through March 29, 2025
Disney Magic: January 6, 2025, through March 20, 2025
Disney Wish: January 3, 2025, through March 31, 2025
This promotion is available for bookings that do not require final payment at time of booking. Remaining balance will be due at time of final payment. Not valid on categories with restrictions (IGT, OGT, VGT), suites or Concierge-level staterooms. This promotion cannot be combined with any other promotions, offers or discounts.
The special offers listed below are available to book today while inventory lasts.
Special Offers for U.S. Military Personnel
Special Rates for U.S. Military Personnel (MTO) are limited to 50 staterooms per category and sailing. Pricing varies, the lowest priced category per person per night listed below. New sailings added this week are in bold. To take advantage of military cruise rates, at least one adult in each stateroom must provide Proof of Military Service. Please note: This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts. Valid for new bookings only.
Disney Dream
5-Night Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona Barcelona, Spain • At Sea • Livorno, Italy • Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy • At Sea
7-Night British Isles Cruise from Southampton Southampton • At Sea • Greenock, Scotland • Liverpool, England • Cobh (Cork), Ireland • Portland, England • At Sea
7-Night Western Europe Cruise from Barcelona ending in Southampton Barcelona, Spain • At Sea • At Sea • Lisbon, Portugal • Vigo, Spain • La Coruña, Spain • At Sea
7-Night Western Europe Cruise from Southampton Southampton • At Sea • Hamburg, Germany • Hamburg, Germany • At Sea • Amsterdam, Netherlands • Zeebrugge (Bruges), Belgium
Disney Fantasy
7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • At Sea • At Sea • Tortola, British Virgin Islands • St. Thomas, USVI • At Sea • Castaway Cay
Disney Magic
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • At Sea • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea • Castaway Cay
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston Galveston, Texas • At Sea • Progreso, Mexico • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea
Disney Wish
3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay • At Sea
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Castaway Cay • Nassau, Bahamas • At Sea
Disney Wonder
10-Night Hawaiian Cruise from Vancouver ending in Honolulu Vancouver, Canada • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • Nawiliwili, Hawai’i • Nawiliwili, Hawai’i • Kahului (Maui), Hawai’i • Hilo, Hawai’i
15-Night South Pacific Cruise from Honolulu ending in Sydney Honolulu, Hawai’i • Kahului (Maui), Hawai’i • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • Pago Pago, American Samoa • International Date Line (Lose Day) • At Sea • Suva, Fiji • At Sea • Nouméa, New Caledonia • At Sea • At Sea • Sydney, Australia
Special Military rates are available to all retired and active U.S. Military personnel (or spouse), including U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, U.S Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Department of Defense personnel. Active and retired members (or spouse) of the U.S. military must provide valid identification at time of check-in. This offer is limited to a maximum of one stateroom per military member (or spouse), per sailing. A U.S. Military service member (or spouse) is required to sail to take advantage of this offer. Activated members (or spouse) of the U.S. National Guard or the U.S. Army Reserve must also show active duty orders (active duty papers must be dated as of January 1st of the previous year to qualify).
Government taxes will vary by itinerary and are in addition to the below rates. Third and fourth Guest prices valid with 2 full-fare Guests in the same stateroom. Rates may vary by sail date and category. Other restrictions may apply. Other categories and sail dates may be available. Valid for new bookings only.
Special Offers for Florida Residents
Special Rates for Florida Residents (FLR) are limited to 50 staterooms per category and sailing. Pricing varies, the lowest priced category per person per night listed below. New sailings added this week are in bold. Please note: This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts. Valid on new and existing reservations.
Disney Dream
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • At Sea • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea • Castaway Cay
Disney Fantasy
3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay
Disney Wish
3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay • At Sea
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Castaway Cay • Nassau, Bahamas • At Sea
To take advantage of Florida residency cruise rates, proof of Florida Residency for at least one adult in each stateroom must be presented at time of check-in. Guests unable to show proper proof of Florida residency at check-in will have their cruise re-priced and the balance must be paid before being allowed to sail.
Proof of residency must be valid at the time of sailing, and includes the following: •Florida Driver’s License •Florida Identification Card
If you do not have one of the IDs indicated above, then you must provide one of the following—dated within the past 2 months—verifying a Florida residential address and your name, along with a corresponding, valid government-issued photo ID (such as passport, driver’s license, state identification card): •Monthly mortgage statement •Renter’s lease agreement •Current automobile registration, insurance policy or bill •Current homeowner’s insurance policy or bill •Current utility bill (power/phone/cable/water) •Mail from a financial institution, including checking, savings or investment account statements •Mail from a federal, state, county or city government agency Note: property deeds and P.O. boxes are not considered acceptable proofs of residency.
Children’s rates are also available to Guests ages 3 through 12 that are traveling with 2 adults in the same stateroom.
Canadian Resident Rates
Special Rates for Canadian Residents with savings on prevailing rates as quoted on Disneycruise.com for non-concierge Verandah, Oceanview, and Inside Staterooms on select cruises. Pricing varies, the lowest priced category per person per night listed below. New sailings added this week are in bold. Proof of residency is required an you must mention the special offer code CAN when booking. NOTE: Offers may be applied to existing bookings if requested when calling in. This offer cannot be combined with any other special offer or discounts, or onboard credits.
Disney Dream
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • At Sea • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea • Castaway Cay
Disney Fantasy
3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Lookout Cay • At Sea
Disney Magic
4-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston Galveston, Texas • At Sea • Progreso, Mexico • At Sea
The Canadian Resident rate excludes suites and categories with restrictions (VGT, OGT, and IGT). Proof of Canada residency will be required at time of check-in. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses are not included. If booking through Disney Cruise Line’s Contact Center, you must mention code CAN. Offers may be applied to existing bookings if requested by caller. This offer cannot be combined with any other special offer or discounts, or onboard credits. Offer valid for new and existing reservations.
Please note, the offers listed are not to be taken as official quotes. Prices and availability can change at any time without notice. More importantly, the deals listed above are a snapshot in time based on DCL’s online cruise search tool.
Cruising on your own can be a wonderful experience, whether you’re looking to enjoy the solace or get out there and meet new people who share your love of cruise holidays.
And the cruise lines will often help by offering special provisions for single travellers – whether that’s helping to group solo passengers together for dinner, or arranging events that make it easier for you to mingle with others.
I love to cruise solo but I’ve found that every cruise line is different, and some are a little more hands-on than others. So let’s take a look at what each of the major cruise lines offers for solo guests…
Ambassador Cruise Line
Ambassador is one of the best cruise lines for looking after solo guests, and ensuring they have plenty of opportunities to meet others.
Events typically take place on cruises of six nights or more only though, so just be aware that any short cruises might not have much organised. I recently took a three-night cruise and there were no solo meet-ups on the daily programme.
On longer cruises, however, there is usually a solos lunch on the first sea day of the cruise, in a designated area so that single passengers can easily find each other.
And then throughout the cruise, there’ll be several chances to attend solo meet-ups that are hosted by a crew member, to make it easy to find the event and get to know people.
The cruise line does have solo cabins allocated on both ships in the fleet and while you might not pay the standard per-person fare you would if booking a two-person cabin, it will be a special rate much lower than paying the full 100% supplement.
Carnival
Carnival welcomes solo guests but doesn’t make much of an effort for them.
There are no single cabins on the ships in the fleet, and so you’d need to pay a double occupancy rate for your cruise – making it quite expensive.
There are solo events listed in the FunTimes schedule each day on most cruises, but these are unhosted, and typically they’re held in a bar area at a peak time.
This means that you’re often left to turn up and guess as to who is a solo guest and who is just relaxing at the bar at the same time.
Celebrity Cruises is a great option for solo guests who want a more luxurious experience. The ships are beautiful and modern, and feature some of the most stylish solo cabins at sea.
The Edge-class ships include solo cabins with infinite verandas, so you can enjoy your own balcony space – rare for single-passenger rooms.
The cruise line hosts a special Solo Travellers’ Gathering and Dinner, which is hosted by the Activity Team onboard either in the Sky Lounge (Millennium-class and Solstice-class ships) or Eden (Edge-class ships).
It’s a relaxed event where you can meet other solos, and then that night there’s a hosted table for dinner, with the rest of the cruise having an unhosted solos table for dinner too.
The shore excursions team are also on-hand at the welcome event so that you can book onto excursions with any new friends you make.
Costa Cruises
Costa’s cruises are a good option if you’re sailing on a budget – that applies whether you’re cruising solo or with others.
The cruise line does have good solo pricing though, with several sailings available without a single supplement. I enjoyed a five-night cruise as a solo traveller for just £151!
There aren’t really any organised singles events on the cruises that are advertised, but instead, the cruise line puts a lot of emphasis on the onboard activities which can be used for meeting others, such as dance classes or cookery lessons. Just be aware that these are open to couples/families too.
At dinner, you’ll typically be grouped with other solo passengers, and where possible with guests from your own country too (Costa’s sailings attract guests from across Europe and further afield).
On my solo cruise, I was seated at a table of British female solo travellers, and all the British male solo travellers were at another table, which was great.
If you like the idea of enjoying traditional cruising with Cunard as a solo guest, then you’ll be pleased to know there are plenty of events to enjoy aimed at you and other solo passengers, including daily coffee meetups and some cocktail receptions too.
Single staterooms are available without an expensive solo supplement, though guests are invited to book a double-occupancy room with a supplement if they want more space.
At dinner, guests will usually be seated with other passengers, though you can speak to the maitre d’ if you would rather be seated alone. There aren’t really any solo tables but you’ll be able to dine alone at a table for two if that’s your preference.
If you enjoy ballroom dancing, there are both male and female dance hosts who will be delighted to spin you around the dance floor.
Disney Cruise Line is primarily aimed at families, but Disney-loving adults will often book places onboard too.
Cruise passengers travelling solo, or single-parent travellers who want to meet other solo adults while the kids are off enjoying the kids’ clubs, are invited to the Cruisin’ Solo events held onboard.
These are always held on the first night of the cruise, and then usually at regular intervals throughout the sailing, and they’re all hosted by the crew to help make it easy to find the event and mingle.
The cruise line does recommend attending the first night, as solo passengers will often use that meetup to plan other, unofficial get-togethers during the cruise.
Fred. Olsen is aimed more at seniors, including solo travellers, and offers a range of activities to encourage new friendships.
There are several hosted Solo Travellers group meetings held during each cruise, always in a relaxed space that makes it easier to strike up conversations with other guests and potentially make plans for the rest of the cruise.
One particularly pleasant feature is the dance hosts – each ship has them, on-hand to make sure that solo guests can still waltz the night away at the dancing events when they don’t have their own partner.
The cruise line also has a range of solo cabin options including those with a balcony or an ocean view, so that anyone travelling alone can still get the cabin they want without paying for double occupancy.
Holland America Line does offer some limited events for solo passengers, but beyond that guests tend to be responsible for arranging their own meetups.
There’s usually a hosted event on the first day of the cruise, but in the past it has been held at 8pm, which might be an inconvenient time depending on your dining time.
If you’re on a longer cruise, then the solo events tend to be better organised and more consistently attended, but otherwise, any other solo events aren’t hosted and guests report that not many people show up.
Marella Cruises
Marella is a popular British cruise line that could be a very attractive option for solo guests who want an all-inclusive experience, especially with most ships having a range of solo cabins to choose from, including inside and oceanview options.
There are hosted events throughout each Marella cruise for solo passengers, all arranged by the cruise host onboard. There’ll also be the option to dine with a larger group of other solo guests, or alone if you’d prefer – you’ll just need to speak to the crew onboard.
NCL has been ahead of the curve for solo passengers for a long time, being one of the first cruise lines to really invest in solo cabin options, with more being retroactively added to the fleet.
Guests can also enjoy the Studio Lounge – a dedicated space for solo passengers who want to relax and meet others. Just be aware that the Studio Lounge shouldn’t be treated like a meetup event – not everyone there will be looking to make new friends, and they might just want to unwind in peace.
There are arranged events for solo guests though, so you do have the option of attending these – they tend to take place in the evenings, and are hosted so they run smoothly.
Guests can also request to dine alone or make arrangements to eat with other solo passengers, with the cruise host on-hand in the Studio Lounge to help with planning.
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is surprisingly not great for solo guests, despite having solo cabins on all ships in the fleet.
There are meetups arranged every day for single travellers, held every morning. They take place in the Crow’s Nest and are advertised as a coffee meetup, but there’s no host – so you’re left to hope that anyone you’re approaching is there to meet others, and not just relaxing on their own briefly. There isn’t a designated area.
The cruise line is flexible for dinner though, and allows solo guests the option of being placed on a bigger table with other guests if they’d prefer, or you can dine alone if that suits you more.
Princess Cruises has daily Single & Solo Get-Together events that are held at 5.30 pm, making them a good option for meeting others and potentially making dinner plans.
However, only the first day’s event is hosted, and guests are expected to make their own arrangements for the rest of the cruise.
Solo guests are asked each evening at the restaurant for their seating preference (alone or with a group) but otherwise, the cruise line doesn’t put a lot of effort into facilitating events for single travellers.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean is another cruise line that doesn’t do a huge amount for solo passengers. There are some solo cabins available on some ships, but expect to pay a premium regardless.
As for the events, there will be some listed on the daily schedule but they will almost always be unhosted, and held at a bar where there will be other guests attending who aren’t even aware of the solos event.
If you’re on My Time Dining you’ll typically be seated alone, but if you choose a set dining time you can request to be placed with a group if you’d prefer that.
Virgin Voyages is a good option for younger solo travellers, with the cruise line having quite the party atmosphere onboard. There are regular deals for booking a double room as a solo guest with no single supplement, so it’s worth looking out for those.
Hosted events are held throughout the cruise to encourage solo passengers to meet up with each other, and there are several other events onboard that are well-suited to solo guests, including the ‘grog-walk’ (bar crawl).
The cruise line also has a section of the Virgin Voyages mobile app that lets you connect with other guests on the ship and make arrangements to share activities, so that’s another way you can meet other solo passengers too.
Final Word
If you’re hoping to cruise solo and want to meet others, but you’re a little shy about walking up to someone, then definitely choose one of the cruise lines that offers regular hosted events.
Of course, not every solo guest goes on a cruise with a wish to make a lot of new friends, and so choosing one which gives you the option to dine alone might be your preference.
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.
Planning a family cruise can be an exciting yet challenging endeavour, especially for parents who hope to keep their children together during the trip.
Attending a kids’ club can be daunting for little ones, and many will prefer to have their siblings by their side if possible.
Cruise lines implement strict age group policies within their kids’ clubs to provide age-appropriate activities and ensure the safety and enjoyment of all children on board. They almost always require kids to stay in their age group, but there are a few exceptions, as I’ll explain below.
If you know that your kids will only attend the club if they can go together, this is something you’ll want to be aware of, as the age group splits differ depending on the cruise line.
So, here’s a comprehensive look at cruise line kids clubs and the specific age groups within those clubs.
1. Carnival Cruise Line
Kids Club: Camp Ocean
Penguins: Ages 2-5
Stingrays: Ages 6-8
Sharks: Ages 9-11
Carnival’s Camp Ocean is a vibrant, ocean-themed kids club that engages children with interactive games, creative crafts, and educational programs inspired by marine life. The club offers three distinct groups where kids can explore, learn, and make new friends through a variety of fun activities.
Teen Programs:
Circle “C”: Ages 12-14
Club O2: Ages 15-17
For older kids, Circle “C” provides a space for pre-teens to socialise with dance parties and games, while Club O2 offers teens a cool hangout spot with music, movies, and video games.
2. Royal Caribbean International
Kids Club: Adventure Ocean
Aquanauts: Ages 3-5
Explorers: Ages 6-8
Voyagers: Ages 9-11
Adventure Ocean on Royal Caribbean offers a fun and educational environment with themed activities tailored to different age groups. Kids can participate in science experiments, arts and crafts, and adventure-themed games.
Teen Programs:
12-14: Ages 12-14
15-17: Ages 15-17
Royal Caribbean also includes dedicated spaces for tweens and teens, featuring karaoke, sports tournaments, and teen-only lounges where they can relax and socialise in a more grown-up setting.
3. Norwegian Cruise Line
Kids Club: Splash Academy
Guppies: Ages 6 months-2 years (with parents)
Turtles: Ages 3-5
Seals: Ages 6-9
Dolphins: Ages 10-12
Norwegian’s Splash Academy is a dynamic and colourful space where kids can engage in creative play, sports, and educational activities. The club is divided into groups that cater to different age ranges, ensuring everyone has age-appropriate fun.
Teen Program:
Older kids can enjoy Entourage, a trendy hangout with video games, movies, and dance parties, providing a perfect spot for teens to meet new friends and have a great time.
4. Disney Cruise Line
Kids Club: Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab
Oceaneer Club and Lab: Ages 3-12
Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab offer a magical experience with themed play areas inspired by beloved Disney characters and movies. Children can join in on storytimes, interactive games, and imaginative play.
The great thing about Disney’s kids’ club is that children from ages 3 to 12 can all attend together so there’s no need for siblings to be split up. 11 and 12 years old have the choice of attending the Oceaneer Club or Edge, which is the teen program on board.
Teen Programs:
Edge: Ages 11-14
Vibe: Ages 14-17
For tweens and teens, Disney provides Edge and Vibe, two stylish lounges equipped with high-tech games, music, and social events, ensuring a fun and engaging environment for all ages.
5. Princess Cruises
Kids Club: Camp Discovery
The Treehouse: Ages 3-7
The Lodge: Ages 8-12
Princess Cruises’ Camp Discovery, created in partnership with Discovery Channel, offers a range of activities that spark curiosity and adventure. The program features themed crafts, games, and educational activities that cater to different age groups.
Teen Program:
The Beach House: Ages 13-17
The Beach House provides teens with a cool space to socialise, play video games, and participate in talent shows and dance parties, making it a hit among older kids.
6. MSC Cruises
Kids Club: MSC Kids Club
Baby Club: Ages 1-3
Mini Club: Ages 3-6
Juniors Club: Ages 7-11
MSC Cruises’ Kids Club is a family-friendly haven with a variety of programs for children of all ages. The club offers arts and crafts, sports, and dance competitions tailored to different age groups, ensuring each child has a fun and memorable experience.
Teen Programs:
Young Club: Ages 12-14
Teen Club: Ages 15-17
Teenagers can enjoy the Young Club and Teen Club, which provide spaces for socialising, playing video games, and participating in sports and dance events.
7. Holland America Line
Kids Club: Club HAL
Kids: Ages 3-7
Tweens: Ages 8-12
Holland America’s Club HAL provides a range of enriching activities for kids and teens. Younger children can enjoy storytelling, arts and crafts, and games, while tweens participate in scavenger hunts, sports, and karaoke.
Teen Program: The Loft
Teens have access to an exclusive lounge where they can join dance parties, video game tournaments, and themed events, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere.
8. Celebrity Cruises
Kids Club: Camp at Sea
Shipmates: Ages 3-5
Cadets: Ages 6-9
Captains: Ages 10-12
Celebrity Cruises’ Camp at Sea is a versatile program offering over 500 activities that cater to kids’ interests. Children can enjoy interactive play, science and art projects, and team challenges.
Teen Program:
For teens, the program provides a dedicated space with video games, sports, and themed parties, ensuring a fun and interactive environment where they can meet new friends and have a great time.
9. Costa Cruises
Kids Club: Squok Club
Mini Club: Ages 3-6
Maxi Club: Ages 7-11
Costa Cruises’ Squok Club offers a lively environment with games, sports, and creative activities that cater to various age groups. The club features interactive play areas and fun events, allowing children to make new friends and enjoy their time at sea.
Teen Programs:
Teen Club Junior: Ages 12-14
Teen Club: Ages 15-17
Older kids can join the Teen Club Junior and Teen Club, which offer spaces for socialising, playing video games, and participating in pool parties and themed evenings.
10. P&O Cruises
Kids Club: The Reef
Splashers: Ages 2-4
Surfers: Ages 5-8
Scubas: Ages 9-12
P&O Cruises’ The Reef is a vibrant kids club with activities like arts and crafts, games, and sports designed for different age groups. The club provides a fun and engaging environment where children can explore their creativity and make new friends.
Teen Program:
Teens can enjoy H2O, a dedicated area with video games, talent shows, and late-night movies, providing a cool hangout spot for older kids to relax and have fun.
Kids Club Age Groupings Are Strict, But There Are Exceptions
Whether children can attend a different club from that of their age group is a common question. In general, the answer is no, but there are some exceptions.
1. Groups may be merged on quieter cruises
When we cruised on P&O Britannia in term time, we found that the Splashers (age 2-4) and Surfers (age 5-7) were joined together. That’s because there simply weren’t enough kids onboard to warrant having two separate groups.
On school holidays cruises when there are a lot of kids, the groups will be hosted in separate rooms for most of the time. However, there may be occasions when they join together, such as to watch a movie at the end of the night.
2. If your child has a birthday on the cruise they can choose
My son turned 5 on the last day of our two-week cruise. That meant that has was allowed to choose whether to go in the Splashers with the other 4-year-olds or in the Surfers with his older sister.
He chose the Surfers which was excellent as they could play together, and it was easier for us to collect both kids from the same place at the same time.
3. If your child has additional needs the cruise line may be flexible
This doesn’t apply to every cruise line, but most will be able to be flexible for children with developmental delays or other additional needs. This means that they may be able to join a group with younger children if it would suit them better there.
If this applies to you, then it’s vital that you contact the cruise line ahead of time to make the request. If you leave it until you’re on board, there’s less change that they will be able to accommodate you.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss these hot cruise offers…
Kids clubs are a lot of fun!
It’s normal for children to be nervous about attending the club for the first time. I would always recommend that they go to the first session of the cruise, as this is when there will be ice-breaking sessions and “getting-to-know-you games”.
I always try to leave the children for just an hour at first rather than the full session. I would rather they be disappointed that it’s time to leave already, than waiting for me to come back.
After the first couple of days, most kids are well-settled and then your only problem will be trying to keep them away from there!
Oftentimes, teenagers like to join Snapchat groups for their cruise so that they can get to know people before they sail. This thales away any first day awkwardness and they make friends right away.
You’ll often find that although teenagers meet in the teen area, they don’t tend to stay there. You’ll see large groups of them in the hot tubs, on the sports courts or going to the cinema together.
Related Posts
If you found this interesting, please share!
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.
A themed cruise gives you the opportunity to indulge in your favourite hobby during a cruise.
Much more than just a cruise, a themed cruise is an opportunity to surround yourself with like-minded people and spend time doing what makes you the happiest, as well as enjoying all the usual cruise benefits like great food, sightseeing and time for relaxation.
There are a whole host of weird and wonderful theme cruises for adults to choose from. In fact, you’ll likely be surprised at just how many different theme cruises are available in 2024, 2025 and beyond!
This guide to the best theme cruises showcases some of the most interesting ones, as well as providing a handy list of all of the current theme cruises on offer, with links to where you can find more information about them.
Theme cruises explained
Before we begin, it’s important to recognise that not all theme cruises are equal in terms of how much of the cruise is actually themed. There are some cruises, like music cruises, where you can expect to see everyone on the ship in fancy dress, enjoying a round-the-clock schedule of events and activities.
In contrast, other cruises are more of a chance for hobbyists to meet up during what would otherwise be a ‘normal’ cruise.
Here are two important distinctions to make…
Full-ship theme cruises: The group will charter the whole ship, so everyone will be on-board for the theme cruise.
Partial-ship theme cruises: The group will book a number of cabins and take over certain areas such as a particular bar or a conference room.
Without further ado, here’s a guide to the most exciting theme cruises that you should consider…
Electric Sunsets 80s vs 90s Cruise
Popular with British people, Marella’s Electric Sunset’s cruise is like a music festival at sea. Onboard previous Electric Sunsets cruises you’ve been able to enjoy 80s and 90s music from The Vengaboys, Pat Sharp, Go West and DJ Sash! With drinks included, this cruise is sure to get you in the party mood.
Chris Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager at Sea – A wrestling themed cruise
Photo credit: Sixthman
Wrestling fans will take over a whole cruise ship for an epic journey with wrestling star Chris Jericho and his friends. The event will include wrestling matches in a ring set up on the pool deck, rock music performances, comedy shows, paranormal activities and live podcast recordings.
The London Community Gospel Choir is finally taking to the seas for an incredible workshop cruise that will include live performances, interactive events and more. The choir has worked with many famous artists and were renowned for backing Elton John at Glastonbury in 2023, and are back at the festival in 2024. Then in 2025, they’ll be cruising the Caribbean on the stunning MSC World America.
Date: 30 August to 6 September 2025
Destination: Caribbean
Cruise Line: MSC Cruises
Ship: MSC World America
You’ll need to book your place through GoCruise & Travel – details in the image above.
Meow Meow Cruise – A cruise for cat lovers
Photo credit: Meow Meow cruise
Cat-obsessed cruisers, unfortunately, cannot bring their cats on this cruise. But what they can do is meet like-minded people to chat about and share photos of their favourite furry feline friends. Activities on this cat-themed cruise include trivia, meet and greet and group dining.
This motorbike-themed cruise is ‘The World’s Only Biker Rally on a Cruise Ship’. A full ship of bikers will be enjoying wild pool parties, tattoo contests, concerts, theme nights and raffles as they cruise to places that they can’t reach by riding a bike.
Returning to Mexico in 2025, The Star Trek Cruise is where you’ll find the most passionate Star Trek fans in the universe. This cruise will feature a lineup of actors and personalities with Star Trek-themed shows, events, activities and parties.
Any Swifties who want to party will love this cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. It departs Miami the day after Taylor’s Eras tour finishes its third night in the city, and will offer events such as cocktail parties, dance events and, of course, karaoke.
Cruise and Crop is a cruise company offering scrapbooking cruises where guests can enjoy making scrapbooks together. But the fun doesn’t stop there! On certain cruises, you can also try your hand at card making, embroidery, knitting, jewellery making and other crafts.
Fans of iconic 70s rock band Kiss can join them for an adventure at sea onboard the Kiss music-themed cruise. Expect performances from Kiss and their friends as well as meet and greet sessions and activities with each of the band members.
Craft Cruises offers a range of cruises where craft lovers can get together to improve their knitting skills will classes and workshops. On-board knitting instructors will advise guests about any local yarn stores in the ports of call. As well as knitting, Craft Cruises also offers cruises themed around crocheting, needlepoint, hand spinning and beading.
The Annual Gothic Cruise and Masquerade Ball is a cruise created by goths for goths. There’ll be live music performances by German electronic music act Rotersand and American aggrotech band Combichrist, amongst others. There’s also a zombie pub crawl and a ‘Spookeasy’ formal night.
Lovers of 70’s rock can relive their youth with 50 live performances from artists such as Randy Bachman, Dave Mason and Orleans on what promises to be one of the best music cruises of 2025. This 70s-themed cruise also promises Q&A sessions with the artists, panel discussions, game shows, trivia, karaoke, wine tasting and pool parties.
The Flower Power Cruise is a 70s-themed cruise where you can immerse yourself in the music from the ‘love generation’. With nightly performances and interactive celebrity events, this cruise has lots of Flower Power themed parties and activities.
Get your stetsons ready for The Country Music Cruise – a themed party at sea with nightly country music performances and the chance to meet the stars. Country music fans can enjoy Q&A sessions with the artists, trivia contests, line dancing and country karaoke.
The Soul Train Cruise is a star-studded cruise experience featuring legendary stars from the classic R&B era. 2025 features two itineraries – each with a fantastic line up of guests!
Date: 26 January to 2 February 2025 OR 9 to 16 November 2025
With a special appearance from disco legends The Brothers Johnson, Rose Royce and Bee Gees Gold, The Ultimate Disco Cruise promises to be a star-studded affair with over 40 live performances and several costume parties.
The 80s Cruise is a non-stop all-inclusive concert with 20 bands including Squeeze, Adam Ant, Men at Work and more. Guests can enjoy parties on the pool deck and themed costume parties too.
Couples-only and clothing-optional, Desire Cruises offer sexually-charged lifestyle cruises with seductive entertainment, exotic theme nights and an electric atmosphere that will make you want to explore your deepest fantasies.
The Magic Castle cruise is a themed cruise all around magic – with live shows, workshop demonstrations and talks on the history of magic. It’s sure to conjure up some magical memories for anyone onboard!
Above is just a sample of some of the themed cruises that are available to book at the moment. See below for a full list of all of the themed cruises, categorised by genre.
There have been some incredible theme cruises over the years. The cruises listed below aren’t scheduled for 2025 and beyond, but take a look at some of the unusual cruises that people have loved…
Harry Potter cruise
The Harry Potter cruise was a seven-night all-inclusive cruise that called at filming locations from the Harry Potter movie series and included a behind-the-scenes tour of Warner Bros. Studios. The cruise happened in 2018, on an eight-passenger barge cruising along London’s River Thames.
Walking Dead themed cruise
There were four zombie-themed Walking Dead cruises between 2016 and 2019. Known as the Walker Stalker Cruise, these Caribbean cruises on Norwegian Pearl featured a team of make-up artists to help cruisers turn into zombies before taking part in outrageous activities. Stars of The Walking Dead tv series were onboard for photo and autograph sessions.
Knotfest at Sea
Fans of the heavy metal bank Slipknot were eagerly awaiting the first-ever Slipknot themed cruise – Knotfest at Sea in August 2020. The cruise on Norwegian Jade from Barcelona to Naples was postponed until 2021 and then sadly cancelled. It’s not known whether this even may ever take place in the future.
NASCAR: The Cruise
American auto racing fans enjoyed a five-night NASCAR themed cruise on Norwegian Pearl in 2017. This stock car themed cruise gave guests the chance to meet some of the biggest names in the sport, including Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace and Bobby Allison.
How to book a themed cruise
Just like concerts and festivals, themed cruises can sell out fast, so if you hear of a themed cruise that you’re interested in, you won’t want to hang around.
Depending on the cruise, there may be a specialist travel agent handling the bookings. Each theme cruise has its own website, so take a look at that to find the details of how to book your place.
More themed cruises?
Do you know of any more themed cruises to add to this list? Please comment below or email me at [email protected] and I will add them.
Related posts:
If you found this interesting, please share!
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.
When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, you may have the option of purchasing The Key – a special benefits program that adds a few key perks to your cruise.
It’s completely optional, and most people will have just as good a cruise if they don’t buy The Key, but for some cruisers, these benefits may make the upgrade price worthwhile.
So, what is The Key, what do you get, and is it worth it? Let’s find out…
The Key – Explained
The Key is a special package of benefits that Royal Caribbean guests can pay for before they cruise. It includes priority arrivals on embarkation day, an internet package, VIP access to theatre shows and select exclusive meals onboard.
The Key must be purchased by all guests in a stateroom aged 6 or over – you can’t just pay for it for some guests. So if you’re travelling with your family, it can get quite expensive.
The Key was paused during the quieter cruising years caused by the global shutdown but was later brought back, and is now available on most Royal Caribbean sailings, in limited numbers.
Considering the nature of The Key’s benefits, it’s no surprise that it was paused back when distancing measures were in place. Royal Caribbean has tweaked the list of included Key benefits since it returned, so if you’ve bought it previously, make sure you check the up-to-date list so you know what you get now.
How it works
With Royal Caribbean, The Key is a package that you need to pay for in advance. It’s only available in limited numbers, so may not be available on your cruise.
Once booked, you’ll be able to enjoy a selection of benefits during your cruise. Your SeaPass card will have a key icon on the bottom right to indicate your Key status.
So, what do you get if you book The Key?
Full list of The Key benefits:
Priority access into the terminal on embarkation day
Carry-on bag drop-off with stateroom delivery
Exclusive welcome lunch
Private time at onboard activities
Priority departure at tender ports
VIP access to live shows
VOOM Surf & Stream internet
Exclusive breakfast on departure day
Grease, performed in the Royal Theater, onboard Harmony of the Seas
Priority access
Priority access to the terminal on embarkation day means that you’ll be given an early time in which to arrive and be one of the first groups called to board the ship.
The time you’ll be given will usually be 11 am, but may vary. If you can’t make it to the terminal by 11 am, you’ll still be prioritised when you arrive at the terminal but you may not get the early boarding.
Depending on your cruise, you may have a quieter waiting area away from everyone else, or you may be mingling with all guests while you wait to get onto your ship. The actual process of checking in isn’t much faster either, just that you’ll beat most of the queues by having your own priority line. You still need to go through all the same checks as everyone else.
Carry-on bag drop-off
Once you get onto the ship, guests with The Key are welcome to drop their carry-on bags off in the Main Dining Room, instead of taking them around with them all day until staterooms are ready. The bags will be dropped off in your stateroom, so it does make things much easier if you’re carrying a bulky bag.
This per is limited to two bags per guest, with no bag weighing more than 25lb.
Welcome lunch
The Key guests can enjoy an exclusive lunch in the Main Dining Room, with menu options taken from Chops Grille, the onboard steakhouse.
Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas
You won’t have a full menu available but there’ll be a few choices for starter, main course, side and dessert, so it won’t be a light meal either!
It’s nice to be able to get a taster of a speciality restaurant, but it isn’t the same as experiencing the full menu. Still, it’s a quieter lunch than you would otherwise have if boarding with the rest of the ship, who are likely all headed to the Windjammer buffet restaurant together.
Private time for activities
Guests with The Key will be invited to some private sessions at the onboard activities. “Private” only means that these sessions are for The Key guests, you don’t get to book time just for yourself. So you will still have to wait your turn with other guests of The Key.
The activities this applies to will of course depend on your ship and the features she has, but examples include the rock-climbing wall, the FlowRider and more.
Generally, most people on The Key program don’t take advantage of these, so if you want to, you should get plenty of time with the attraction, beating the typically long queues.
You just need to make sure you pay attention to your cruise schedule as there may only be one private hour per attraction, per cruise. Miss it, and you’ll have to queue alongside everyone else.
Priority tender departure
The Key guests can get priority departure on tender boats for ports where the ship can’t dock.
This is a nice benefit to have, except for the fact that the vast majority of ports that Royal ships visit can be docked at. Tender ports for the cruise line are pretty rare. I can honestly say that I’ve never had to take a tender boat on a Royal Caribbean cruise!
So if you think this sounds like a valuable perk, make sure you check your itinerary, to see if you’ll actually get to use it.
VIP access to shows
Depending on your ship, you will have some great venues for live shows, including the theatre, the AquaTheater, Two70 and Studio B. And during the most popular performances, queues for the events can be pretty long, and seating isn’t guaranteed.
Two70 on Anthem of the Seas
Anyone on The Key program can take advantage of VIP seating with early access. This will either take the form of guests having a special reserved area, or just being granted early access to the theatre to pick from all the available seats.
It’s a great benefit if you plan on watching a lot of shows, but reviews are mixed due to the times you’re expected to show up. If there’s a reserved seating area, you should only need to arrive 15 minutes early. But for early access to the general seating, some people have said they were asked to show up 45 minutes before the show started. That’s quite the wait.
VOOM internet
Every guest on The Key program gets a VOOM Surf & Stream internet package for one device. This is the more premium of the internet packages, which Royal say is suitable for video calls and streaming services.
Whether you’ll get the reliable speed for those demanding tasks is questionable, but it should at least be quick enough that checking social media or reading emails isn’t painfully slow.
The included VOOM internet is one of the best reasons to consider The Key, since it often makes up the majority of the cost of the package alone. Continue reading for details of the pricing…
Departure day breakfast
On the final day of your cruise, guests on The Key program can enjoy an exclusive a la carte breakfast in the Main Dining Room, with a selection of options. Other guests will be limited to buffet breakfasts, so it’s nice to have the chance for one last sit-down meal before you leave.
Purchasing The Key
To purchase The Key program on a Royal Caribbean cruise, guests must first complete their cruise booking and then access the Cruise Planner on the Royal Caribbean website. They can then add The Key to their booking, paying in full for everyone in their party.
The Key can’t be bought at the same time as booking your cruise, and it can’t be bought on board either. You have to pre-book it, but only once you’ve secured your cruise.
Prices vary…
The price of The Key program varies depending on your particular cruise. Officially it starts at $25.99 per person, per day but sometimes there are discounts which make it a lower price. It can also be higher depending on demand and your sailing.
You have to pay for The Key for everyone in your stateroom aged six or over, and you can’t part-pay – you have to take it out for the entire cruise.
So, if it does cost $26 for your sailing, and you’re travelling with a partner and two kids, that’s $104 per day, and for a 7-night cruise, it means it’s an extra $728 on top of your cruise fare!
As The Key is so expensive, you’ll want to consider carefully whether it’s worth it. And I’m here to help you with that.
It will sell out – each cruise has a limit
There is no fixed number for the amount of people who can buy The Key on Royal Caribbean but each sailing will have a limit. It is not open to every guest – imagine trying to deliver all those carry-on bags if it was available to everyone!
The number of people able to buy The Key will vary depending on the ship size and the itinerary.
Anthem of the Seas in Norway
If you want The Key, it’s best to book it early. Log onto the Cruise Planner as soon as you’ve booked your cruise. Remember that you’ll need to pay for it upfront, and also bear in mind the fact that everyone books their cruises at different times.
So, if you’re booking a last-minute cruise, it might already be sold out before you even have a chance to try to buy it.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…
Working out whether it’s good value – it depends on the price for your cruise!
The best way to determine a good price for The Key is to look at the cost of The Key and the cost of a VOOM Surf & Stream internet package on your cruise. If there isn’t much difference between the prices, it’s good value and more likely to be worth buying.
Typically a VOOM Surf & Stream package will cost around $18 per person, per day for a single device. Just like The Key, this price will fluctuate depending on your ship and sailing.
So if the WiFi package is $18 per day, and The Key is $26, and you were going to get the internet anyway, ask yourself if the extra $8 is justified with all the other benefits you get.
Remember though that you can buy individual plans for VOOM – you don’t need to pay for everyone in your stateroom. But you do need to pay for everyone for The Key.
If you only want internet on one device, it’s much cheaper to get VOOM separately than it is to pay for The Key for everyone in your stateroom.
Key availability
The Key is available on all Royal Caribbean ships, but not necessarily all sailings. Royal Caribbean hasn’t stipulated where it wouldn’t be available, but there may be some sailings where it just isn’t viable.
The benefits can also vary depending on your ship, so make sure you check when you pay for it, as they might not include everything on this list.
So, worth it?
Whether The Key is worth it or not depends on a few different things – how much it costs for your sailing (and travelling part), how much you’ll use the benefits, and whether you’re already getting some of the benefits through other means.
There are two other ways you can enjoy a selection of perks when you book a Royal Caribbean cruise. Either you’ll be a member of the Crown and Anchor loyalty program, or you may have booked a suite.
Crown and Anchor guests don’t get a lot of cross-over with the perks, but depending on your level, you will get:
Priority check-in before your cruise for Gold level
Priority departure on your last day for Diamond level
Priority seating at theatre shows for Diamond Plus level
There are, of course, a huge amount of other benefits but these are the ones that closest match those offered by The Key.
When it comes to suite perks, it’s a little less clear because it depends on the age of your ship, and the specific suite you book. Older Royal Caribbean ships use the Suites Program, while newer ships use the Royal Suite Class.
With the Suites Program, the benefits change depending on whether you’ve booked a Junior Suite, a Grand Suite or Panoramic Suite or Owner’s Suite, or a Royal Suite or Villa Suite.
Guests in a Grand Suite above get a lot of benefits, including these which cross over with The Key:
Priority departure on disembarkation day
Priority tendering for shore excursions
A departure breakfast
Access to reserved theatre seating
Officer escort on-board (Royal or Villa Suite only)
And then within the Royal Suite Class, it depends on whether you’re booked in a Sea Class, Sky Class or Star Class suite. Star Class suite guests get these same perks as The Key:
Flexible arrival times and priority departure
Early access to theatre seats
Complimentary VOOM internet access
Expedited boarding
Priority entrance to on-board activities
So depending on whether you’re a Crown and Anchor member, or you’ve booked a suite for your cruise, The Key might not be worth it. Especially if you’re in a Star Class suite on a ship with the Royal Suite Class – you get all the most expensive benefits already included as a suite perk!
Because there’s not a clear answer to the question “Is The Key worth it on Royal Caribbean?”, then whether or not you should buy The Key is a personal decision.
It’s probably not worth it if you weren’t going to pay for the VOOM internet package anyway, as it is quite expensive for the rest of the benefits that it comes with, especially if you’re travelling with more than two people.
If you did want the internet access, then The Key might be a better option than just paying for WiFi alone. But again, think about whether you’ll use the benefits.
Do you get annoyed having to carry around your bags when you get on board? Do you hate the buffet queues for lunch on day one, or for breakfast on your last day? These are minor concerns for most people.
But, if you love the live theatre shows, or really want to make the most of your time on the FlowRider, for example, then The Key could be really useful for making your cruise run a lot more smoothly.
There’s no right answer – but make sure you bear these questions in mind before you pay for The Key.
Related Posts:
If you found this interesting, please share!
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.
