Diplomacy

Royal Caribbean, the world’s largest cruise line, has announced a new destination for their cruise ships to visit starting in 2027, Perfect Day Mexico.

Perfect Day Mexico will open in 2027 on Mexico’s Caribbean coast in Mahahual. This new destination for Royal Caribbean is in addition to the Royal Beach Club in Cozumel that is opening in 2026.

Perfect Day Mexico will have a thrilling waterpark, jaw-dropping pools and beaches, restaurants, bars, music and more.

Royal Caribbean released a short teaser video about this new destination that you can watch below.

Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, gave the following statement about this new destination:

“Perfect Day at CocoCay has been a gamechanger for both our guests and our business. With travelers prioritizing unique experiences and destinations driving their booking decisions, we’re excited to expand our Perfect Day Collection by creating Perfect Day Mexico to super serve guests who want to explore the Western Caribbean.

“Our momentum for reimagining the ultimate vacation experience for guests of all ages continues as we help guests turn the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations across our brands.”

Mara Lezama, governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, added:

“We are very excited that Royal Caribbean has decided to invest in Mahahual, a land of opportunity and hard-working people. Under the framework of the Well Being and Development Accord and the new era of tourism, my administration is looking forward to working very closely with the company to ensure a sustainable destination that brings shared prosperity to the region and that our local communities are part of this historic investment.

“I am sure that guests will be marveled by the beauties that southern Quintana Roo has to offer but most importantly, the kindness of our people.”

Royal Caribbean said that they will release more details on Perfect Day Mexico in the coming months.

When I book a cruise based on the itinerary, it’s all about the shore excursions.  I will spend much more research on the ports of call than on the ship itself.

After all, shore excursions can make or break a cruise, and I want to get the most out of every second at a new destination.

But the question comes down to whether I should book an excursion through the ship directly, or on my own through a third party. 

Frankly, it depends.  I’ve done both and there are certain reasons you should consider either one as well.

Reasons to Book Through the Ship

Booking and paying for shore excursions right through the cruise line is the most seamless way to pre-order your fun day in port. 

You can see all of the options for each destination right in the app or on the cruise line’s website.  And if you need to make a change, you only have to deal with one company.

Here are a few more reasons you might want to book straight through the ship.

1. Easier for first-time cruisers

When it’s your first time on a cruise, there are enough things occupying your mind.  The entire cruise process can be a bit overwhelming when it’s your first time.   In fact, I wrote about this earlier this year when musing about the pre-cruise experience for first-timers.

If you have any problems, you can just talk to the shore excursions desk on the ship as well, making it one less thing to stress about.

In your cabin you can also see all of the offered excursions on the stateroom TV if you want to do some last-minute window shopping.

2. Proven Activities

Cruise lines are always listening to feedback from cruisers about the excursions they offer.  If a tour operator is doing a bad job or people just aren’t enjoying a certain activity, the cruise line will switch it out for something else. 

At least, that’s what is supposed to happen.  For the most part, the excursions offered are there because they are popular with past guests.

I know I’ve offered some negative feedback on a few excursions that just weren’t worth the price.

3. Can’t Get Left Behind

This is the biggest reason for some I’ve talked to.  If you book an excursion through the cruise line, they know where you are when in port.  They know if a tour is delayed or encounters an issue. 

And a cruise ship will not sail away if you booked that excursion through the ship, even if you’re a little late.

So if this is your greatest fear when visiting a foreign port of call, just book through the ship.

Although, some would argue that watching pier-runners trying to make it back to the ship is an excursion in and of itself. 

4. Easier to Get Refunded

I’m currently writing this as Hurricane Milton is barreling down on Florida.  Several cruises were already cancelled.   If guests on those ships booked an excursion through the cruise line, they will easily get refunded.

Sometimes this is in the form of future credit or onboard credit, but the point is that the process of a refund is much easier.

This isn’t to say you can’t get a refund when booking through a third party, though.  You just have to read the fine print to make sure, and you will have to do some extra leg work to get your money back.

Reasons to Book Through a Third Party or On Your Own

Booking a shore excursion through a third-party DIY-style might seem scary, but if you do your research and know what you’re getting into, it could easily become the only way you book activities on shore.

1. It Can Be Much Cheaper

It’s not always cheaper, but most of the time I can find a comparable excursion for less money.  Just know that sometimes there’s a reason it’s cheaper.

Still, if you do your part in reading legit reviews and what others had to say about an operator or experience, you can usually get a good sense of what to expect.

2. More Variety

Cruise lines can be somewhat limiting in their excursion offerings.  After all, most of the activities you see on their website will be generic or geared for the populous of the ship. 

By booking on your own, you can find a lot more variety and find something to do that is a perfect fit for the experience you want. 

I remember booking my own tour of a chocolate factory in a small Caribbean town.  It was a little way from the cruise port but offered a unique glimpse into the culture of the area as well.

Sometimes I will not even plan a shore excursion but while walking around a port city find a gem to try out.

3. You Can Find Off-the-Beaten-Path Activities

 This is my favorite reason for booking through a third party.  After you’ve gone parasailing, swum with dolphins (or even pigs), and sailed the glass-bottom boat tour, you might be ready for something less common.

Cruising is all about embracing your sense of adventure, after all.

By going through a private tour operator or exclusions provider you can find those unique experiences that the masses miss out on. 

Whether it’s hiking to a secluded waterfall, learning a new craft like weaving or glassblowing, or snorkeling in a reef hardly anyone knows about, a DIY excursion can be very rewarding. 

4. Tends to Be Less Crowded

You can find smaller tours or groups when booking through a third party.  I’ve been on some cruise ship shore excursions that simply had too many people. Some of the mainstream cruise lines struggle with this. 

If you want a more intimate experience in a port of call, you can usually find a more personalized excursion by booking it on your own. 

Bottom Line

I still don’t have one method of booking shore excursions that I use on every cruise.  I weigh the pros and cons as listed above to see what I really want to get out of a port of call experience.  And if I’m unsure about an area, I will book through the ship.

Usually, my preferred method is to book something on my own, but I know that carries risks.

Also, you don’t even have to book an excursion if you don’t want to.  Simple walking around a port city or hailing a cab to take you around a destination can be rewarding and enlightening as well. 

Whatever method you use for booking your excursions, make some amazing memories and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Cruise port closures due to Hurricane Milton have forced Royal Caribbean perform some schedule-juggling with at least four ships in the fleet.  Longer cruises on previous sailings are now cutting into the next cruise itineraries.

The storm’s impact on cruise ports has led to delays for some vessels that are now set to arrive at least a day later than originally scheduled.

Utopia of the Seas, an Oasis-class vessel, offers year-round 3- and 4-night sailings out of Port Canaveral.

The ship was scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Friday, October 11^th.  The ship is now expected to arrive on Saturday, October 12th.

As a result, Utopia’s upcoming cruise has been shortened from a 3-night to a 2-night sailing that will include a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning to Port Canaveral on Monday, October 14th.

Royal Caribbean sent the following message to passengers who were set to sail on the next voyage on Utopia:

“Due to Hurricane Milton and the closure of Port Canaveral, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning.  As a result, we’ve had to shift our boarding day.”

Adventure of the Seas is also facing a delayed return to Port Canaveral. Instead of docking on October 11th, the ship will now arrive on Saturday, October 12th.

A scheduled port of call in Willemstad, Curaçao had to be cancelled because of the delay on the ship’s upcoming Southern Caribbean cruise.

Independence of the Seas is another ship impacted by Hurricane Milton. Sailing from PortMiami, Independence of the Seas is now expected to arrive in port on Friday, October 11th, instead of Thursday, October 10th.

This will also result in a shortened cruise to the Bahamas on the following cruise.

Finally, Mariner of the Seas will also dock at its homeport in Galveston later than initially planned. Royal Caribbean has confirmed that the ship’s arrival will be delayed due to the storm’s effects on port operations in the area.

The cruise line is offering guests compensation for the disruptions, which includes a refund of one day of the paid cruise fare in the form of onboard credit.

After several cruise ships were impacted by Hurricane Milton, Carnival Cruise Line has updated passengers about one ship that was not able to return to its homeport.

*Update: Carnival Paradise is now heading toward Tampa Bay.  According to Carnival’s brand ambassador, 1,785 passengers decided to take the free shuttle service back from Miami to Tampa.  579 guests chose to stay on the ships for another 3 days as it sails back to homeport in Port Tampa Bay.  The ship will arrive on Monday.

Carnival Paradise, a 1998 Fantasy-class ship, was rerouted to PortMiami after not being able to return to the Port of Tampa. 

The ship is expected to arrive in Miami this morning at 9:30am, and passengers will have two options for returning to Tampa.

In a Facebook live post, Carnival’s Brand Ambassador John Heald explained that each guest will have to go through customs and immigration.

After that, each passenger will then have two options. They can take a complimentary shuttle from Miami to Tampa Bay, or they can get back on the ship and sail back to Tampa.

The shuttle service would take about 4 hours. The extended cruise back to Tampa would include free Wi-Fi but would not arrive back at the ship’s homeport until Monday, giving passengers an extra 3 day cruise.

While the drink packages will not be free, Heald said they would be offered for purchase at the pre-cruise rate. 

Of course, this is assuming Tampa’s port will be open by Monday.  If the port is still not operational, Heald said that the ship would sail to Port Canaveral instead, where the next cruise would begin on Carnival Paradise.

Three other Carnival cruise ships have been impacted by the hurricane as well.

Carnival Elation will depart on October 14th as originally planned, but the embarkation location remains uncertain and will be communicated to guests as soon as possible.

Carnival Glory has been shortened to a two-day voyage departing on October 12th. The ship will visit Freeport, Bahamas from 10:00 AM to 6:00 AM. Guests will receive a full day’s refund for prepaid gratuities, onboard credit, and cruise fare.

Carnival Sunrise has also been shortened to a three-day voyage departing on October 12th. The ship will visit Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. The arrival and departure times will be adjusted and communicated to guests by the captain once they are on board. Guests will receive a 25% refund for prepaid gratuities and cruise fare, as well as a $100 onboard credit.

Carnival urged guests to stay updated by checking their emails and contacting their travel agents for the latest information.

Port inspections are expected to take place today and into the weekend.

Carnival is still waiting for the green light at other ports as well, including Port Canaveral and Jacksonville. 

In a bit of good news, Heald did say that there were no reports of flooding in the parking lots at cruise ports in Tampa, Port Canaveral, and Jacksonville. Several passengers had been concerned about their vehicles being in port during the hurricane.

Carnival Cruise Line is raising money for hurricane relief in a unique way after their president, Christine Duffy, accepted a challenge to tandem skydive on October 19, 2024.

The jump will be part of a celebration with the first-ever Special Forces Legacy Initiatives (SFLI) cruise. The cruise will depart will place on Carnival Paradise and depart on October 19.

The cruise is a full ship charter by Special Forces Legacy Initiatives. Alumni, their families, Gold Star families and friends will enjoy a five-day cruise to The Bahamas and strengthen the bonds within their community.

This Special Forces cruise will bring together Green Berets that have served from the Korean War to present times together to enjoy a reunion at sea.

Carnival is hoping to raise at least $50,000 to benefit hurricane relief through the Gary Sinise Foundation.

The foundation’s hurricane relief efforts are supporting first responders and military on the ground, working tirelessly around the clock to bring relief to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.

Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, which has performed more than 40 concerts around the globe to uplift communities, will perform on embarkation day.

The jump will take place on “Tico Belle,” a World War II veteran C-47 aircraft flown during the Normandy D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, gave the following statement:

“I’ve never jumped from an airplane before, so I think this effort is worth at least $50,000 for the Gary Sinise Foundation and their efforts to support military and first responders assisting with hurricane relief.

“Saying that Carnival is America’s Cruise Line and the favorite cruise line for active-duty military and military veterans is one thing, showing it is another story, and I’m always ready to jump at the chance to prove it!”

Royal Caribbean, the world’s largest cruise line, is raising their daily gratuities (tips) starting on November 1, 2024.

Royal Caribbean is raising daily gratuities by 50 cents per day on November 1, 2024, less than the last increase of $2. However, if you booked your cruise prior to this date, you can prepay gratuities at the current rate as long as you do it before your cruise.

If you wait until you board the ship, you will pay the new rates even if you booked your cruise a year ago.

All cruises booked on or after November 1, 2024 will be subject to the new increased rates.

Royal Caribbean’s new daily gratuities starting on November 1, 2024 will be:

• Inside, ocean view, balcony, junior suites: $18.50 per person, per day
• Suites: $21.00 per person, per day

Suites include Sky Junior Suites, Grand Suites and above.

All guests are subject to these new rates, regardless of reservation type.

This is Royal Caribbean’s first increase in gratuities since last November when they went up $2 per person, per day.

Who receives the daily gratuities? Royal Caribbean gives the following description of where these tips go:

“Gratuities are at the discretion of each guest. Such guidelines serve as a recommendation to assist guests in expressing their gratitude for the outstanding service experienced during their cruise vacation. The daily gratuity is shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams.

“For guests’ convenience, Royal Caribbean automatically registers the suggested daily gratuity amount to guests’ folio accounts, though guests are free to alter the amount with the onboard Guest Services team.

“We hope guests find these suggested amounts to be an accurate reflection of their satisfaction and are grateful for their generous recognition of the Royal Caribbean staff.”