I've been going on cruises for 20 years. Here are my top 3 tips to avoid the crowds on ships.
- I've been going on cruises with my family for two decades.
- Status with Royal Caribbean gives us VIP access, but booking suites gives us special treatment, too.
I've lost count of how many cruises I've been on in my life, but it's safe to say I've been on at least a dozen in the last 20 years.
My family and I started with a couple Disney cruises when I was a kid, switched to Royal Caribbean when I was a teenager, and have stuck with them ever since.
In that time, we've accrued Diamond Plus status with Royal Caribbean, which gives us special treatment and access that first-time cruisers won't get.
It also means I've learned tricks over the years to avoid the lines, crowds, and minor inconveniences of traveling on a boat with thousands of other people.
My best tips to avoid the crowds of cruisers are: book a suite, get status, and time it right.
If it's your first time cruising, you haven't cruised enough to get status — and if you can afford it — booking a suite gets you instant access to VIP pool decks, prime seating areas at shows, faster lines, lounges with complimentary cocktails, and concierge service.
Royal Caribbean ships have a Suite Sun Deck by the pools that only "Sky" and "Star" suite guests can access. I've never had trouble finding a chair.
Suite guests also get access to their own specialty restaurant called Coastal Kitchen if you want to avoid the lines at the buffet.
Having status or booking a suite also gives you special lines when you're getting on and off the ship. Once, when I was a teenager, a staff member gave me a sign to hold that said "VIP." It made me feel very special, indeed.
Don't follow the crowd
It may be tempting to wake up early so you don't miss anything, or to do what everyone else is doing. But the best way to avoid the crowds without spending extra money is to go at your own pace.
Sleep in! Catch breakfast right before it closes. Go to the cafe instead of the buffet. Order room service. Do you enjoy waking up early? Do that instead!
When you see everyone else racing to get off the ship, wait until the line dies down. Or don't get off the ship at all — my family and I went up in the Anthem of the Seas' North Star attraction when we were docked in port and there wasn't a wait.
We've also learned to book our own tours online instead of the cruise line's shore excursions. You can usually get a better deal, see more, and get to talk to more locals that way.
Take advantage of reservations onboard, too. Most cruise ships have mobile apps now where you can book dinners, shows, and attractions so you don't have to wait in line. Or, if you have status or booked a suite, you can have your concierge make reservations for you.
Finally, cruise ships are big. They're basically floating skyscrapers. If you explore enough, you can find pockets where people aren't congregating. There's usually a quiet outdoor space on deck four or five underneath the life boats where you can sit on a lounge chair in peace.
And if you book a room with a balcony, you have a slice of space all to yourself.
