 There are always new and exciting things to experience on a cruise—no matter which cruise line you pick! If you want to uplevel your cruise vacation, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, and the adult-only Virgin Voyages offer premium experiences to enhance your time onboard. Below, we profile the best cruise upgrades you should consider when booking a cruise: Specialty Dining One of the most popular cruise upgrades is booking a reservation at a specialty dining location. While most restaurants onboard are included with your cruise fare, paying extra for a night at a premium dining location is a great way to celebrate a special occasion or add an exquisite ending to a day at sea. Here are some of our top picks for premium specialty dining locations onboard: Palo—Disney Cruise Line Available on Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement—Disney Cruise Line Available on Wish and Treasure Chops Grille℠--Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Available on all Royal Caribbean ships Giovanni’s℠ Italian Kitchen— Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Available on Odyssey of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, and Utopia of the Seas. If you want to experience more than one specialty dining location on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you can purchase a specialty dining package. Options include three meals at your choice of restaurants or unlimited specialty dining. Premium Drink Packages Premium drink packages are a must-have cruise upgrade for many passengers. If you’re a first-time cruiser, you may think all your drinks are included with your cruise fare. However, some cruise lines (like Royal Caribbean) only offer water, drip coffee, teas, iced tea, milk, and fruit juices with your cruise fare. This means you’ll need to pay for carbonated soft drinks, specialty coffee, mocktails, and alcoholic beverages. You’ll need to purchase a drink package for your cruise to get these premium drinks. Here’s how drink packages work on the three most popular cruise lines we book: Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean offers several drink packages so you can get what you want for the best value. The Classic Soda Package includes soft drinks and unlimited refills from Coca-Cola Freestyle fountains at many of the ship's dining locations. The package also includes a souvenir cup. The Refreshment Package includes everything in the soda package, plus freshly squeezed juices, bottled water, sparkling water, mocktails, crafted coffees, smoothies, and milkshakes. The Deluxe Drink Package is Royal Caribbean’s signature drink package. It includes all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for your entire vacation. Just like with any type of vacation decision, deciding on a drink package is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Your Just Add Magic Travel® agent is here for you to bounce ideas off of and help you decide if adding a drink package makes the most sense for you and your party. Disney Cruise Line Soft drinks, drip coffee, juices, and teas are included with your Disney Cruise Line fare. Instead of offering drink packages for purchasing alcohol, there are a few options to save on buying drinks on your Disney Cruise. With the Beer Mug Savings Package, you can get 21 ounces of beer for the price of 16 ounces at the bars and lounges on the ship. The package includes a souvenir beer mug that you can use for the refills. However, we recommend exchanging the mug for a token you can redeem at the bars so you don't have to lug the mug around the ship. At the end of your vacation, you can exchange the coin for the souvenir mug to bring home with you. Disney Cruise Line also offers wine bottle packages, where you can pre-purchase three to seven bottles of wine to pair with dinner and save up to 25%. The extra wine can be brought back to your stateroom or saved for your next meal. Virgin Voyages “Basic Bevvies” (soda, still and sparkling water, fruit juices, teas, and drip coffee) are included with your fare. There are no alcoholic drink packages, but you can pre-purchase a "Bar Tab" and use the funds for alcoholic drinks on the ship. Add at least $200 to your Bar Tab before you sail and get an extra $25 in onboard credit, with additional savings the more you add to the tab. Private Cabanas Enjoy your beach day at Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Virgin Voyages' exclusive island experiences with a private cabana rental. Here's an overview of the offerings on these cruise lines:  Disney Cruise Line The family cabanas at Disney Cruise Line’s newest private island destination, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, shouldn't be missed! Each cabana offers a serene and luxurious experience on a private section of the beach. Each cabana features a half-enclosed structure with a fan, charging outlets, padded lounge chairs, and a mini fridge (stocked with drinks). There is also a nearby eatery for cabana guests, so you don't have to trek to the main dining area. Adult-only cabanas are also available at Serenity Bay and Castaway Cay, Disney's first private island destination. Private cabanas book fast and staying in a Concierge Stateroom or Suite improves your chances of being able to snag one for your party. Contact our team at Just Add Magic Travel if you want to add a private cabana to your next Disney Cruise. Royal Caribbean Private cabanas are available for rent at featured locations throughout the Perfect Day at CocoCay (Royal Caribbean's private island experience in the Bahamas), including Chill Island Beach, Thrill Waterpark, and Oasis Lagoon. If you reserve a cabana at Thrill Waterpark, you’ll get complimentary admission to the park's slides and attractions for up to six people. A cabana at Coco Beach Club includes access to the club for up to eight people. Each cabana has bottled water, beach towels, resort chairs, food delivery from select on-site dining locations, and concierge service. Virgin Voyages Virgin Voyages offers private cabanas onboard the ship and at its private destination in the Bahamas, the Beach Club at Bimini. Cabana rentals at The Beach Club at Bimini offer day beds, a round of drinks (valued up to $100), and a dedicated service team with oceanfront and poolside options. If you book one of the 10 onboard cabanas, you'll be welcomed with sample smoothies and fresh pressed juices, ShipEats delivery service to your cabana, and two day spa passes to use on the day of your cabana booking.  Book a Suite or Stay Concierge LevelOne of our favorite cruise upgrades is to book a suite. If you've followed us for a while, you know how much we love upgrading to Club-Level rooms at Disney and Universal. Booking a suite or Concierge Level room is the cruising equivalent. These staterooms offer a variety of perks, which we detail below: Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean offers suites for every family, with over 20 types of suites available on most cruise ships! Here's what you get when you stay in a suite on a Royal Caribbean ship:
View a complete list of suite program perks here. Disney Cruise Line Concierge Rooms Concierge rooms are larger than standard rooms and provide access to the lounge (which is stocked with snacks, drinks, and hot hors d'oeuvres throughout the day). Here are a few other benefits of staying in a Concierge Room on a Disney Cruise:
Virgin Voyages Enjoy access to the suite-level deck and Richard’s Rooftop, an outdoor bar and lounge. Book an ultra-exclusive Rockstar Suite and enjoy a private hot tub overlooking the ocean and a bigger stateroom. You’ll also get a private transfer to the ship! Onboard Adventures For thrill-seekers and explorers, upgrading your cruise with attractions and activities will help you create memories that will last a lifetime. Some can’t-miss activities include the Flow Rider surf simulator, the rock climbing wall, and Crowns Edge on Royal Caribbean ships. Extra onboard activities on Disney Cruise ships include the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and salon services. Plus, most cruise lines have onboard spas; it’s the perfect way to relax and unwind during your cruise. Plan Your Cruise with Just Add Magic Travel®There’s never been a better time to book a cruise! Most major cruise lines will add to their fleets in the next two years, and we don't want you to miss out. Each new ship is more amazing than the next! Whether it’s your first time cruising or you’re looking for a new way to set sail, let our team at Just Add Magic Travel help you plan an amazing cruise vacation!
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Aileen Mullee-DiTuriOwner of Just Add Magic Travel Posts
August 2024
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