First time cruiser with Royal Caribbean - what are your top tips?

[RedRum27]

Doing 1 week around Croatia and Greece providing all is well with covid etc. I did a cruise as a small child so barely remember it. Going as a couple, what are your tips for our first cruise trip, what to bring, things to know, when to arrive, how it works etc. We've pre-booked drinks packages, internet, flights, hotel night before etc., have planned what we've like to do on the days we're visiting islands...just looking for top tips :-)

The onboard currency will probably be US dollars. When the pound is strong, spending dollars on holiday suddenly becomes very attractive -- but right now, with a weak pound, you'll spend more onboard unless you opt for a line operating in British pounds. You may be asked when you check in whether you'd like your onboard account converted to sterling when you settle up but you almost always lose out on the exchange rate if you opt for this.

There’s no shame in taking your own tea bags if you have strong feelings about tea. Even if you do, don't automatically expect a decent cuppa on a cruise ship; the hot water at the buffet is never boiling.

Pack anything you might need for the first few hours in your carry-on bag.

Skip the buffet on the first day. Everybody boarding heads straight up to it. Go to whatever secondary dining option is available. Sometimes a ship will open one of its table-served eateries for lunch on embarkation day, and it’ll be much less crowded than the buffet.
Many phone plans, even international plans, don’t include talking, texting and data on cruise ships, and you’ll pay massive roaming rates.
To escape the bustle, head to the Solarium. It’s adult-only on the deck-top and it’s relatively quiet.
You’re allowed to bring on two bottles of wine or Champagne per cabin at boarding, plus up to 12 standard cans, bottles or cartons of nonalcoholic drinks. You’ll be charged a corkage fee though if you want to take the wine or Champagne to an onboard restaurant or other public areas to drink.
Ziploc bags have to be the most useful item you can pack. Also pack a travel coffee mug to take advantage of the free drinks and water on the cruise. Take a lanyard to carry your sea pass card on your neck, for ease of access.
If you have room, pack a small portable fan for your cabin. There isn’t much airflow so if you are the type that always need a breeze to be comfy, then you’ll hate sitting still in the room. As well, we like the white noise that a fan provides to drown out sounds like people talking in the hall or the weather outside the ship.
As soon as you know that you will want to dine at a restaurant or get a spa treatment, make your reservations.

Remember to budget for tips. There will be a minimum/recommended amount but I leave more for serving staff and cabin attendants as the “tip” is their salary so if you want to express gratitude then you need to leave more.

Following..... we are first time cruisers on RC this year.
Judging by the food, I'll need elasticated trousers and a bigger size by end of the week.

Look on Cruise critic forum for ideas.
Take at least one credit card each, when you get off the ship as the staff for the port agent details then if you get lost of delays you have away of contacting the ship.
Plan your trips yourself, one ship wanted £600 for a trip we did for £100, the biggest rip off was one quoted £6000 yes £6000 for 6 of us on a full day tour we booked a guide from the UK on line for £600

We returned last week from our cruise. It was absolutely amazing, definitely one of the best holidays we have done. Cannot fault Royal Caribbean at all. The places we visited were stunning. Everything included was just fantastic as we pre-paid gratuities etc. Cannot wait to go again and have had serious cruise blues every day since we got back. Thanks for your tips.