One of the things I love most about Royal Caribbean is that its commercials promote fun. Everything is bright and colorful, and whether you’re a kid or an adult, you can ride a water slide, hop on a carousel and do all kinds of things on a cruise ship that nobody would ever dream of if they didn’t understand cruising.
To get the inside scoop, I sat down with my very good friend Kirk Debold, a strategic account manager at Royal Caribbean. (“Super duper fancy,” I told him. His answer: “Because we use strategy.”) Kirk works closely with travel advisors like me, and I always say that if Royal ever reroutes the territories and moves him, I will gather the people and throw a fit. Here’s what first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers should know, from both of us.
There Really Is a Ship for Everyone
Royal Caribbean is famous for its giant ships, and honestly, the company changed the industry. I remember when Oasis of the Seas came out: everyone’s eyes bugged out like in a cartoon, and I couldn’t wait to get on board. On my very first day on the job, I was invited on Symphony of the Seas for its inaugural, and I had never seen anything like it in my life.
I love the bigger ships because you don’t get bored on them. But Kirk made a great point for anyone who finds big ships intimidating. Royal has seven classes of ships, holding anywhere from about 2,100 to 7,500 guests. And because the Oasis and Icon Class ships are built in “neighborhoods,” people organically find their spot and the flow of the ship, so it never feels like there are that many people on board.
So even though Royal shows off its biggest ships in every picture and video (those are the most eye-catching), please know there’s a range. There is never a one-size-fits-all cruise. The nice part about Royal is that the range means there really is something for everyone. Not sure which cruise line fits you? Try my cruise line quiz.
Icon of the Seas, the first of Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class ships. (Stock photo)
How Much Is There to Do?
According to Kirk, there are 71 activities to do in a single day on an Oasis Class ship and 73 on Icon Class. As he put it, if you can’t find something to do, maybe cruising isn’t for you. And if you just want to read a book, there’s even a library. It’s a multigenerational brand, which is why it works so well for families and groups.
Why Short Cruises Are Having a Moment
Here in Orlando, Royal Caribbean is right in our backyard. Between Port Canaveral, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Kirk says Royal has 16 ships sailing out of Florida alone, in all different sizes. And travelers are calling advisors and asking for Royal Caribbean by name.
What Royal is finding is that shorter Caribbean cruises are really working. Since the pandemic, people are taking shorter vacations more often, often over a weekend, so they only have to take a couple of days off and can fit in two trips a year instead of one. Seven nights can be a long time, and it’s a commitment. A three- or four-night sailing on a big ship gives first-timers a taste of what cruising is like.
It’s also a perfect add-on for families coming to Florida for the theme parks. Listen, we’re all Disney fans at heart, but a lot of families buy a three- or four-day park ticket and then jump on a three- or four-night cruise, especially when they’re coming from out of state.
Personally, I love five and six nights. It’s just enough that you’re like, “Yeah, I’m good.”
Port Canaveral vs. Tampa
The big Oasis Class ships sail short cruises out of Port Canaveral. The three-nighters stop in Nassau, just like everyone else’s do, and most people don’t bother getting off the ship. Royal is now giving you a reason to (more on that below).
Tampa is a different story. The Port of Tampa has Royal’s classic ships, the smaller ones that hold about 2,300 guests, and Kirk was honest about why: the bigger ships don’t fit under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Tons of people still sail out of Tampa. Kirk also pointed out that on a classic ship with 2,300 guests, the design can make it feel busier than one of the giant neighborhood-style ships.
Good to know (checked October 2026): ship deployments change every season. For late 2026, Royal’s Port Canaveral lineup includes Utopia of the Seas on three- and four-night Bahamas cruises, Harmony of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas on four- and five-night cruises, and Star of the Seas on seven-night Caribbean sailings. Tampa has Enchantment of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas on four- to eight-night Caribbean cruises. Check the current schedule when you book.
Royal Beach Clubs: A Reason to Get Off the Ship
This is the part of the interview that got me the most excited. Royal Caribbean now has Royal Beach Clubs, and Kirk explained what makes them different from the other beach day options.
They’re exclusive. Only Royal Caribbean and Celebrity guests can use them, so you know who you’re with. At other beach clubs, you may be sharing with guests from six other cruise lines, all fighting for a turn on a slide.
They’re all-inclusive. The day passes include your food and drinks. Kirk compared that with other popular beach day options in Nassau, where food and drinks are extra, which can add up fast for a family of four.
You can bundle. Kirk said Royal is bundling the beach club day pass with drink packages, which brings the price down.
Good to know (checked October 2026): Royal Beach Clubs are open in Nassau and Santorini, and Royal Beach Club Cozumel is scheduled to open on December 31, 2026.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island (Nassau)
The Nassau beach club has a chill beach and a family beach, and in the middle is the world’s largest swim-up bar, the Floating Flamingo. (Everything Royal does has to be the biggest and the best.) What Kirk loves is that the party stays in the party zone, so you don’t get all that music in the other areas.
The family pool has a walk-in entry, like a beach, and kids love it. That’s one of my favorite spots in any pool, by the way: lying in that one little spot where you’re not totally submerged, just enough in the water. Kirk told me about a cruise he hosted where several families had children on the autism spectrum, and those kids could not wait to get back to the beach club because of the floating starfish in the family pool. They said it was their favorite part of the whole cruise.
I haven’t been yet, and I am dying to go. It’s getting rave reviews.
Good to know (checked October 2026): Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opened in December 2025. Its three areas are Family Beach, Chill Beach and Party Cove, home of the Floating Flamingo. There’s a day pass with unlimited food and non-alcoholic drinks, and an all-inclusive pass with alcohol for guests 21 and up. Silversea guests can visit too. The drink-package discount only applies when you book one of Royal’s official bundles; buying the two separately doesn’t save you anything.
Royal Beach Club Santorini
I knew this one was coming, and I still couldn’t believe it was already open. When you go to Santorini, you really go for those white homes with the domed roofs, so Royal’s Santorini beach club day is actually an all-day island tour. There are three different tours to choose from, and the beach club is always part of the day, but you still get to see the main attractions.
Here’s why that matters: Santorini is a hot mess for cruise passengers. When you get off the ship, you either wait for the cable car up the cliff (which can be a two-hour wait) or walk up the path. With the beach club day, Kirk said, a motor coach picks you up and takes you straight to your tour. No walking behind a donkey, no getting on a donkey, no cable car line. Honestly, I don’t think Royal advertises this enough. Now I feel like I need to try it.
Good to know (checked October 2026): Royal Beach Club Santorini opened on April 27, 2026, as part of an “Ultimate Santorini Day” that also visits Oia and Fira. It’s for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea guests. The Karavolades Stairs from the old port closed in late July 2026 after a wall collapse and reopened in early August.
If you’re planning a Greek islands trip, my Celestyal Cruises review covers another great way to see them.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
Perfect Day at CocoCay is the one everybody recognizes, and it’s massive. It’s a destination in itself. Kirk explained the difference: the beach clubs are a paid day pass, while the Perfect Day destinations are complimentary when your ship stops there. There are three areas you pay extra for if you want a more unique experience:
Hideaway Beach, the adults-only area, which Kirk recommends. So much fun.
Coco Beach Club, with its overwater cabanas. Highly recommend.
The water park.
The rest of the island is yours to explore. It may seem daunting when you look at the map, but there are trams that take you everywhere, and every time you pass something, there’s food. The brownies on that island might be the best on the planet, and Kirk swears by the rum cake. If you have a drink package, your drinks are included on the island, too.
Bahamian water like this is the draw of a CocoCay beach day. (Illustrative stock photo)
Good to know (checked October 2026): Kirk mentioned a Perfect Day project in Mexico. In May 2026, Mexico’s government said the planned Perfect Day Mexico could not go ahead as proposed, and in July Royal Caribbean said it remains committed but the original timeline will be pushed back. No new opening date has been announced.
Weddings at Sea (and on the Island)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve boarded a ship and someone is having a wedding, and I don’t think a lot of people think of it. Kirk said that on Utopia of the Seas, there’s a wedding every week, sometimes two or three.
Here’s how it works. You plan the wedding with Royal’s celebrations team, working with your travel advisor. Guests who aren’t sailing are allowed to board and celebrate with you, then they get off before the ship sails, and the wedding party stays on for the cruise. And because the Oasis Class ships have a Central Park, they take you there for your photos afterward, so it looks like you were in New York. I love that, because Central Park is one of my favorite places on those ships. I love eating there, especially when the Italian restaurant has its tables outside.
You can even get married on Royal’s private destinations, which I didn’t know until Kirk told me.
Good to know (checked October 2026): Royal Caribbean confirms you can get married at Perfect Day at CocoCay while your ship is docked there, subject to availability at one of the island’s wedding sites. Contact Royal’s weddings team or your travel advisor to plan it.
Families Are Not Forgotten
When people think of kids clubs, they usually think of Disney, but Royal Caribbean’s kids clubs are really good, too. So if you’re a family and you just need some alone time, there’s a perfect way to get it: the kids love the kids club.
Kirk told me that when his daughter was 10, she would cry to get into Adventure Ocean in the morning, even before it opened, and when they picked her up at night, she was either asleep or crying on the way out. He always says kids come off a Royal Caribbean cruise smarter, because it’s a STEM-based program. They’re being educated and having fun. (Kirk’s joke: his drink package makes him come off a little dumber.)
Kirk also said Royal wants every family to have the same great experience, and if a family needs more inclusive experiences or a little more attention, Royal can provide that.
Good to know (checked October 2026): Royal Caribbean’s youth staff complete autism awareness training, and Adventure Ocean offers flexible grouping by ability, autism-friendly toys and other supports on request. Ask your travel advisor to note any needs when you book.
Legend of the Seas Is Coming to Florida
Royal’s newest ship, Legend of the Seas, is already sailing, and she’s coming here. The transatlantic crossing from Rome to Fort Lauderdale would be a really good sailing. Once she arrives, she’ll do six- and eight-night cruises, and the eight-night sails to the Southern Caribbean, including the ABC islands.
I love the ABCs, and it’s such a great thing to do them from Fort Lauderdale. A lot of times, those sailings leave out of San Juan because it’s closer and easier, so leaving from here means you don’t have to fly over first. And I can’t wait for her show: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I’ll be sailing on her myself.
Willemstad, Curacao, one of the ABC islands on Legend of the Seas’ Southern Caribbean sailings. (Stock photo)
If you want to know more about the ABC islands, I talk about them in my guide to overrated and underrated Caribbean islands.
Good to know (checked October 2026): Legend of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s third Icon Class ship. She sailed in Europe in summer 2026 and makes her Caribbean debut from Fort Lauderdale in November 2026, on six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Southern Caribbean itineraries. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory makes its debut at sea in her Royal Theater.
Kirk’s Royal Caribbean Rapid Fire
I couldn’t let Kirk go without a rapid-fire round:
Favorite ship: Symphony of the Seas.
Favorite port: Port Canaveral.
Favorite dessert: the rum cake on the island. On board, he’s a chocolate chip cookies and ice cream guy. (Me too.)
Caribbean or Europe: Europe. I’m with him on that.
Three nights or seven: it depends on where it goes. Three nights gets you the deal, but seven nights is so relaxing, so he’ll go with seven.
Favorite place on board: the Hideaway on the Icon Class ships. It’s adults-only, with nice lounge music and a pool to jump in.
Ready to Try Royal Caribbean?
I absolutely love Royal Caribbean. It’s fun for every age, with short sailings right here in Florida, new beach clubs and Legend of the Seas on the way. If you’re also considering a more upscale experience, see my Celebrity Retreat review for a look at Royal’s sister line, and if it’s your first cruise ever, read the cruise mistakes everyone makes before you book.
Want to hear the whole conversation? Watch my interview with Kirk. And when you’re ready to book, my team at Fabulous Adventures Travel and I would love to help you find the right ship and sailing. We often have exclusive Royal Caribbean deals for our clients, so ask what’s available when you reach out.
