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The author holds a passport at an airport (L) Wonder of the seas cruise ship (R)
The author booked her first cruise with Royal Caribbean.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider, Denis Thaust/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

  • I took my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's mega ship, Wonder of the Seas, in 2022.
  • When booking the 7-day Caribbean cruise, I learned surprising things, like when to schedule flights.
  • I also learned that cruise booking prices don't include all the restaurants and activities on board.

There's so much you have to know about cruising before embarking on your trip that I wasn't expecting.

This was back in 2022, when I booked my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. My seven-day voyage out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took us to Honduras, Mexico, and the cruise line's private island in the Bahamas.

Since it was my first time at sea, I was still learning a lot about how cruises work, and I was surprised by some of my findings even just while booking the trip.

Cruisers recommend booking your flight for the day before the ship leaves.
A delta plane parks at the gate

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Since my cruise ship left from Florida and I live in New York, I had to fly there. When I started searching for flights, I looked for reservations on the same day as my cruise departure. 

After a little research, though, I learned that seasoned cruisers recommend flying into your port city at least one day before your cruise ship departs to leave room for potential delays. So I booked a flight that arrived the night before my trip and had a stress-free embarkation day.

Similarly, when choosing my flight home, I learned that the scheduled port arrival time wasn't exactly when I'd be off the ship.
Passengers disembark the Royal Carribbean cruise ship 'Ovation of the Seas' on its return to Circular Quay in Sydney on December 16, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Several of the ship's passengers were amongst the tourists killed at White Island when a volcano erupted on December 9, 2019, with 16 people now confirmed deceased
Passengers disembark a cruise ship.

Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The ship's scheduled arrival time is when the ship docks at the port, a cruise ship employee previously told Business Insider. Before passengers can get off, there's an inspection that can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or longer.

Just to be safe, I booked a night flight at 9 p.m., thinking I'd rather wait at the airport all day than miss my ride home. However, I regret booking such a late departure because I arrived at the airport 12 hours before takeoff. Next time, I'll book an afternoon flight instead so I don't spend all day in the airport.

I thought cruises would be priced like hotels — per room. But when booking my Royal Caribbean cruise, I learned about the "single supplement."
(GERMANY OUT) cruise on the river Rhine , tourists on the balcony of their cabin,
Tourists on the balcony of their cabin during a river cruise in 2007.

JOKER/Alexander Stein/ullstein bild via Getty Images

When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, I found that the price per person varied depending on the number of guests. When I searched for just one guest, as I cruised solo, the rate per person doubled compared to searching for two guests.

This is called the "single supplement." Many cruise lines price this way for solo travelers to make up for the revenue that would have come from a second guest.

While there are many included meals and activities on cruise ships, excursions and some restaurants and amenities cost extra.
Chefs sand servers at cruise ship Buffet.
Chefs sand servers at cruise ship Buffet.

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

I was previously under the impression that cruises were all-inclusive.

But while some restaurants and activities were included in the room price, like the buffet and waterslides, spa treatments, port excursions, and select restaurants on the ship cost extra. 

Some rooms on cruise ships don't have windows.
A interior shot of the cruise ship cabin and a selfie in front of the cruise ship shot.
A interior shot of the cruise ship cabin and a selfie in front of the cruise ship shot.

Monica Humphries/Business Insider

When booking my Royal Caribbean cruise, I noticed that the least expensive room option had no windows. I couldn't imagine living without a window for a week. Luckily, my room had a small one.

You can add gratuity during the booking process.
man serving drinks in the Lido Restaurant on the Holland America Caribbean cruise from New York. (Photo by: )
man serving drinks in the Lido Restaurant on the Holland America Caribbean cruise from New York.

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

When I was getting ready to purchase my cruise, I noticed I could add gratuity in advance. I went for it and thought it made my trip easier.

Once you're booked, you can reserve food on the ship and excursions at each port.
An aerial view of Coco Cay, the private island for Royal Caribbean International cruise line, in the Bahamas, photographed Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. Coco Cay sustained only superficial damage from Hurricane Dorian. ()
An aerial view of Coco Cay, the private island for Royal Caribbean International cruise line, in the Bahamas, photographed Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. Coco Cay sustained only superficial damage from Hurricane Dorian.

Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

As soon as I received my confirmation email for my booking, I learned that I already had the option of planning out my whole trip, from restaurant reservations to excursions. I booked excursions in advance, so I had one less thing to worry about once on board.

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7 surprising things I learned when I booked my first cruise