Royal Caribbean Will Now Fine Guests Who Skip Dinner Reservations
Royal Caribbean is joining rivals in penalizing passengers who don’t show up to dine.
Royal Caribbean is tightening up its dining rules. The cruise line just announced that if you book a specialty restaurant onboard and don’t show up, you’ll be charged a fee.
The change was first shared with travel agents and reported by the Royal Caribbean Blog. It’s meant to free up seats at these in-demand restaurants. Specialty venues are already tough to book, especially the new, small-capacity spots like Royal Railway (48 seats) or the Empire Supper Club (38 seats). When someone no-shows, those tables often sit empty even though plenty of passengers would have happily taken them.
What’s Changing
Going forward, anyone who makes an a la carte reservation at a specialty restaurant but fails to cancel in advance will be hit with a no-show fee. Royal Caribbean hasn’t confirmed exactly what the charge will be yet.
If you’ve booked a dining package, like the Unlimited Dining Package or a 3-Night Package, you won’t be charged. Same goes for Star Class suite guests, whose reservations are already included in their fare. Everyone else will need to be more mindful about locking in (or canceling) reservations.
How to Avoid Fees
The good news: you can still cancel without penalty. Both the Cruise Planner and the Royal Caribbean app let you modify reservations easily. The trick will be checking your show schedules, excursions, or other activities ahead of time so you’re not accidentally double-booked.
How Other Cruise Lines Handle It
Royal Caribbean isn’t the first line to clamp down. Norwegian Cruise Line charges the full cover price if you cancel less than 24 hours before your reservation, or don’t show up at all. Carnival only charges at certain venues like the Chef’s Table and Bonsai Teppanyaki, with a 48-hour cancellation window.
So, while this may feel like a new hurdle, it’s actually Royal Caribbean catching up with industry norms.
And if you’re weighing different vacation styles beyond cruising, you can check out my honest review of Beaches Turks & Caicos, a luxury all-inclusive — it covers everything I wish I’d known before booking.
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