Spring break is one of the most popular times of year to take a cruise. The weather is mild, and many kids across the country are off school, making it extra convenient.
I’ve been taking my kids on a spring break cruise ever for the past 9 years, and it’s a wonderful experience because as they get old, it becomes more challenging to find times when we all can travel together.
The catch with any spring break cruise is how many other kids are doing the same thing. While Royal Caribbean ships always sail full, there many more families on a spring break cruise and that means more people onboard because those third and fourth beds are filled up.
On Star of the Seas, we had over 10,000 people onboard the ship our 7-night Western Caribbean cruise when you combine passengers with crew members. Needless to say, the cruise ship was busy.
Here are some of the tips we used to navigate the unavoidable crowds.
Go to the pool early
Perhaps no other place on your cruise ship will be as crowded as the pool deck on a sea day.
My best advice is to go up to the pool early before everyone else does. Star of the Seas has seven pools and ten whirlpools onboard, so it’s probably the best cruise ship at distributing crowds.
Our strategy was to go to the pool before 10am and get our time in early. Most people roll up to the pool deck in the late morning, with the peak crowds extending through early afternoon.
But if you go up before 10am, you’ll have no problem finding open chairs. Chair hogs are a notorious problem on any cruise ship, so getting a chair in the morning is critical.
Not only does this strategy get you a chair, but you can also enjoy a much less crowded pool.
My theory is to enjoy the pool in the morning, then leave at lunch and enjoy an afternoon nap back in my cabin.
Pre-book shows in the app
Royal Caribbean allows you to pre-book shows, and it’s an absolute must-do on a spring break cruise.
According to the cruise line, show reservations open up on the first day of the month before the sailing. That’s not totally accurate, but it’s a good ballpark of when to start looking for them.
We pre-booked all of our shows, so we didn’t have to wait in line to see it. There’s no cost to pre-book shows, but that also means a lot of people will book show reservations just to have them and they go quickly.
I’d prioritize show tickets for Torque and the comedy shows, because they have the smallest theaters. Back to the Future: The Musical is also a must-see.
Speaking of Torque, I always recommend booking the aqua shows for the first sailing because too much movement can cancel a show. By picking an early show, you ensure you can either see it while conditions are ripe, or have more chances to see it later if your viewing is cancelled.
Take advantage of a port day for the water park
Star of the Seas has an entire water park, so the best time to ride all the slides with as little wait as possible is on a port day.
Pick a port that you’ll stay on the ship and hit the water slides. Just like my pool deck strategy, go in the morning when the slides first open and enjoy virtually no lines.
Once you get to lunch time, people start returning to the ship and lines for the water slides can build quickly.
Another smart strategy is to bring your bathing suit on embarkation day and go on the slides as soon as you board.
Few other people will have their bathing suit because they packed it away in their checked luggage, so lines tend to be lower on the first day until about mid-afternoon.
Prepare to splurge for a suite if having a less crowded pool deck is important to you
Paying extra for a suite on top of the premium pricing a new ship like Star of the Seas enjoys can sting, but if you’re looking for the “easy button”, the extra expense may be worth it.
Suite guests get access to the Suite Neighborhood onboard, which includes its own private pool deck, lounge, and restaurant.
The Grove is the name of the suite sun deck area on Icon Class ships, which has its own pool, hot tub, and lots of loungers.
I was able to access this area because I’m a Pinnacle Club member, and having an enclave from the main pool area provided a wonderful relief from crowds. There were still lots of people taking advantage of this area, but it’s far more manageable.
I would never advocate booking a suite because it’s a good value. But there are some people that would prefer to pay extra to avoid crowds, and this is the option for them.
You’ll need to book a Grand Suite or any other Sky or Star Class suite to get the full benefits. Traditional Junior Suites (and Surfside Family Suites later this year) only have partial suite benefits, and the pool area isn’t one of them.
Make dining reservations early
Just as important as your show reservations are ensuring you have a place to eat each night.
I witnessed numerous times someone asking for a table without a reservation, only to be told there’s nothing left for that day.
Royal Caribbean has made it very easy to prebook specialty restaurants, even with the dining package, thanks to the Royal Caribbean app. I made all my reservations before the cruise began and was grateful I didn’t have to worry about finding a place to eat onboard.
If you’re eating at the Main Dining Room, you can pre-book your My Time Dining spots too. Personally, I’d recommend Traditional Dining to make it even easier.
If you decide to book something onboard, make that decision early. Book reservations on the first day because all the restaurants were overbooked by the time we got to day three or four of the cruise.
Hit the gym on port days
I found the gym gets overcrowded on sea days, so it’s better to go on any port day.
Hit the gym before your excursion early and you’ll find the fitness center is so much less crowded. I went on the morning we were in Perfect Day at CocoCay, and there were maybe 10 people total to contend with.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.royalcaribbeanblog.com ’
