Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean’s plans to purchase the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport are off, but the company plans to participate in a new bid process.

The sale agreement of the Grand Lucayan was canceled this week after the new administration in The Bahamas determined that the way the sale was structured was ‘not in the best interests of the Bahamian people’. Concerns of clarity on how quickly the project would be advanced were mentioned.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation Chester Cooper stated that “The government was frankly not satisfied with what was proposed or that the project would be advanced in the short or medium term. We were not willing to continue on without clear timeline for completion and were of the view that many of the terms were not in the best interest of the Bahamian people.”

In early March 2020, Royal Caribbean announced plans to purchase the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport, Bahamas. Bahamas Ports Investments Limited (BPI), the joint venture of ITM Group and Royal Caribbean Group, spent months negotiating the sale of the resort, which is owned by the Bahamian government, to transform it into a popular port destination.

Plans included a transformation of the Lucaya Property into a beachfront destination, which would include a 526-room hotel, shopping village, spa and wellness center, water and adventure park, convention center, adventure activities (such as ziplining), restaurants and bars, and entertainment. The resort would be a popular attraction for both land and cruise guests.

There were also plans for a major enhancement project at Harbour Village, the cruise ship terminal in Freeport. Enhancements would include shopping and dining venues and a transportation hub. However, BPI was unable to finalize a deal with Freeport Harbour Company. As the purchase of the resort was contingent upon reaching an agreement with the port, efforts were delayed.

The Bahamian government still plans to sell the property, noting that new investors of the Grand Lucayan will more than likely not depend on development of the port. Mr. Cooper mentioned that coupling the port and resort together was a bad idea, as it led to significant economic delay as Royal Caribbean and ITM Group struggled to reach an agreement with Freeport Harbour Company.

Royal Caribbean still plans to participate in the new bid process for the resort, though. After ITM Group’s withdrew from the acquisition, Royal Caribbean began searching for a new partner in the land-based hospitality industry.

“We look forward to participating in the new public bid process for the purchase of the Grand Lucayan once a bid is issued by the government of The Bahamas. The transformation of the Grand Lucayan into a premier entertainment resort will complement our plans for the development of a world-class cruise ship port facility in Freeport to re-establish Grand Bahama as one of the world’s most popular cruise destinations.”

Royal Caribbean will also be investing in the $450 million transformation of the Grand Bahama Shipyard, where it holds a 40% stake. They have stated that they remain committed to supporting the government’s vision for transformation of tourism offerings in Grand Bahama.

Royal Caribbean International's top executive took to Facebook on Thursday to address the recent news of Covid cases on his cruise ships.

In the wake of two Royal Caribbean cruise ships making headline news for having around 50 positive Covid cases on each ship, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO posted on his Facebook page a new update about where things stand, and why cruise ships are out performing everywhere else in terms of the positivity rate.

Mr. Bayley is no stranger to posting on social media to talk about the progress being made by Royal Caribbean.

Here is a breakdown of what Mr. Bayley said from his Facebook post.

Positivity rate on cruise ships

Mr. Bayley touted the fact cruise ships are doing better than the average across the United States for Covid-19 positive cases.

"We now have a “positivity” rate way below the national rate and way below our big home port states such as Florida, California, Texas etc, and way below Broward and Miami Dade in Florida the two counties that are home to of our biggest home ports of Miami and Port Everglades."

Mr. Bayley then shared his opinion on the omicron variant, noting that he is not a public health official.

"We are seeing increases in positivity rates with some ships currently close to 1 percent (please note Florida positivity rate is 5 percent, which is pretty good relative to others).

"Recently Symphony of the Seas was in the media spotlight with 48 positive cases (mainly guests) which was less than 1 percent of the onboard population.

"Also Odyssey of the Seas has 50 positive cases mainly crew with a onboard population of over 5,000 plus, so approx 1 percent positivity rate."

He then went on to talk about the reality of the cases onboard the ships as being quite mild.

"98 percent plus of positive cases are with the fully vaccinated and 99 per cent plus are asymptomatic or with very mild symptoms often surprised they are positive at all.    

"It really does seem as though the virus (if vaccinated) has morphed to something more like a mild cold !   (Second notice this is not in anyway a statement based on science but simply what we are seeing and hearing from our operations in this environment). "

He went on to say that he hopes Omicron variant is the start of a milder form of Covid-19, "my hope is this really is the beginning of the end of this virus and what we are seeing is its morphing to fast spread and less harmful like the common cold !  (If vaccinated)."

Good news

He started off by highlighting the tremendous progress Royal Caribbean has had with getting the restart process moving, "We now have 21 ships back in operation, 40,000 crew back to work all fully vaccinated and all now receiving their booster shots and over 50,000 to 60,000 guests a week sailing with us all fully vaccinated (over 12) and increasingly the 5 to 12 year olds are getting vaccinated."

Mr. Bayley also shared how well-received cruises have been by the public.

"Guest satisfaction is sky high ! Lots of very happy guests enjoying wonderful cruise vacations in a safe (relative to any other options) and fun way."

"The crew (God bless them all) have been through all kinds of obstacles and difficulties and are now back doing what they love to do do and are now able to care for and support their families back home."

Vaccinations on cruise ships

Mr. Bayley said on a typical sailing, there are between 95% - 98% fully vaccinated guests onboard, with everyone getting a pre-cruise test for Covid-19.

In addition, crew members are tested every week, with front of house staff (crew members who deal directly with passengers) now being tested every three days, and everyone wearing masks the vast majority of the time, along with social distancing, sanitizing, etc.

Ship capacity

Royal Caribbean has slowly been increasing ship capacity since the summer, and Royal Caribbean is now approaching 70 to 80% in December 2021.

"We have also been managing capacity from our start up in July with 20 to 30 per cent average load factors increasing approx 10 per cent a month to approx 70 to 80 per cent in December."

"Our normal year full year load factor is approx 110 per cent. (3rd and 4th berth occupancy which is normally kids)."

Read Bayley's entire message

It appears Royal Caribbean has removed the option to book a new Royal Caribbean cruise for sailings between now and January 10, 2022.

Cruise fans began to notice sailings for the next few weeks were not showing up as an option on Royal Caribbean's website as of Tuesday.

More than 24 hours later, these bookings are still unavailable.

According to at least one tweet from Royal Caribbean's Twitter account, all sailings between now and January 10, 2022 are closed, which means new reservations are not being accepted.

The tweet also said despite the sailings being closed, upgrades and room changes can take place subject to availability.

A few hours later, Royal Caribbean tweeted another update that they wanted to, "ensure guests who are already booked can enjoy even more space & peace of mind while onboard."

This could be a way to limit ships from increasing in capacity while concerns over the omicron variant continue to mount. Or something else entirely.

What does this mean?

Other than the one tweet, there has not been any sort of announcement or clarification.

Some cruise fans theorized it meant cancellations were coming as a result of the recent positive Covid-19 cases on Symphony of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas, but the tweet seems to point to something else.

UPDATE: Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service at Royal Caribbean International provided additional information about these sailings, “At Royal Caribbean International, we have robust, multilayered protocols that safeguard the well-being of our guests, our crew members and the communities we visit – to make it the safest vacation possible.”

”These measures include vaccination requirements for our guests and crew, a facemask policy, pre-cruise testing for all guests, and weekly testing for every crew member, as well as physical distancing and limited capacity. Sailings departing through early January 2022 are no longer open to new reservations because they’ve met the limited capacity we’ve set. Changes to existing bookings, such as upgrades or stateroom adjustments are still being accommodated, although subject to availability.”

Cruise fan reaction

While Royal Caribbean may not be saying much, cruise fans have plenty of opinions.

Members of the Royal Caribbean Information Facebook group shared their thoughts on what might be happening.

"I understand RCCL’s need to make $ but it doesn’t seem like a good idea to pack the ships full right now," writes Kim Dudzinski.

"Limiting capacity. Whatever's been sold is it," writes Bruce Ballaban.

"We noticed that too. We are sailing next Jan 9th on Oasis. 3-4 people from our facebook group called their TA to ask," writes Claudio Menis Cohen. "They told them that there is no more booking from 10/01/2022 to limit the capacity of people."

Royal Caribbean registered 24 new cruise ship names recently, which could be used for a new cruise ship.

The registrations were made with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Royal Caribbean Group filed 24 different trademark registrations with the PTO for names that sound like they might be used for cruise ship names.

Trademark registrations are notoriously vague, and rarely give much insight into what they may be used for onboard a cruise ship, but it can sometimes tip Royal Caribbean's hand in what they have planned.

The names were trademarked on December 16, 2021.

Here are all the new names trademarked:

• MAGNIFICENCE OF THE SEAS
• FANTASIA OF THE SEAS
• PARADISE OF THE SEAS
• HAVEN OF THE SEAS
• MELODY OF THE SEAS
• GRACE OF THE SEAS
• SANCTUARY OF THE SEAS
• ILLUMINATION OF THE SEAS
• UNITY OF THE SEAS
• INTRIGUE OF THE SEAS
• ARIA OF THE SEAS
• EUPHORIA OF THE SEAS
• SPLENDOR OF THE SEAS
• AWE OF THE SEAS
• ETERNITY OF THE SEAS
• EDEN OF THE SEAS
• VIBRANCE OF THE SEAS
• BLISS OF THE SEAS
• AURA OF THE SEAS
• UTOPIA OF THE SEAS
• JOY OF THE SEAS
• MARVEL OF THE SEAS
• NIRVANA OF THE SEAS
• DIVINE OF THE SEAS

It's worth noting that of the 24 names registered, one is a name previously used.

Splendor of the Seas is the name of a former Royal Caribbean cruise ship, although it was spelled "Splendour".

Royal Caribbean sold Splendour to Marella Cruises, where she serves now as the Marella Discovery.

Splendour was the second in line in the Vision Class.

It is worth noting that Royal Caribbean has registered other cruise ship names that it never ended up using for actual ships. Joy of the Seas and Apex of the Seas were registered back in 2017 and have yet to be used.

Royal Caribbean currently has three unnamed ships on order, in addition to Wonder of the Seas & Icon of the Seas.

Why do these trademarks matter?

If you are curious what might be next for Royal Caribbean, trademark filings are a good hint of what the cruise line may be thinking.

While a lot of trademarks get filed but never used, some do end up being the names of new venues, services or even cruise ships.

With new cruise ships under construction, and other projects around the world in various stages of development, there is always a chance the dreamers at Royal Caribbean are ready to move from concept to reality, and locking in a name is part of that process.

When it comes to ship names, it is common for Royal Caribbean to register more names than it intends to use. Think of this list as the finalists in a naming competition. In short, it's better to have more names than you need to ensure no one takes up a name later.

What's your prediction?

Now is your chance to show us how much you (think you) know! Share your predictions what these trademarks will be used for the name of a new ship in the future!

If the news reports of Covid-19 cases on cruise ships has you spooked, now may be a good opportunity to review the extensive health protocols Royal Caribbean has for passengers and crew members aboard its ships.

The omicron variant has generated a new wave of attention to Covid-19 cases around the world, and since cruise lines require passengers and crew members to test for Covid-19 on each sailing (unlike any other industry), cases get more attention since the data is easy to gather.

The good news is Royal Caribbean has strengthened its protocols onboard, on top of what it had in place since the cruise industry restarted cruises in mid-2021.

Here is a look at the important things every Royal Caribbean cruise ship is doing right now to mitigate and limit the spread of Covid-19 on its ships.

Vaccine requirement

Royal Caribbean requires all of its passengers to be fully vaccinated if they are at least 12 years old, with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing.

All crew members are fully vaccinated.

Each guest's regimen must include at least two doses of vaccine unless the guest received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Royal Caribbean will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in lieu of a vaccination record card for guests of vaccine eligible age.

Children age 11 and under do not require COVID-19 vaccination to cruise, but there are additional requirements of them in testing and areas on the ship they may not go.

Stricter mask requirements

Royal Caribbean has required face masks to be worn on its ships since cruises restarted in 2021, but they recently altered the rules to require it in more places.

Masks are required to be worn indoors, regardless of vaccination status, unless actively eating or drinking.  This included previously designated vaccinated-only zones of the ship, such as the casino or bars.

Royal Caribbean even banned smoking in its casinos in an effort to keep masks on passengers while indoors.

Masks are allowed to be removed indoors while in your stateroom, or while outdoors.

Pre-cruise testing

Every passengers, regardless of if they are vaccinated or not, needs to get a Covid-19 test done before the cruise begins.

Vaccinated guests must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding day.

Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a PCR test (not antigen) taken no more than 3 days before boarding day.

In addition, unvaccinated kids get another Covid test administered on embarkation day to add an additional layer of safety.

For cruises that are 5 nights or longer, unvaccinated kids will take a complimentary antigen test onboard before the cruise ends.

Air filtration

One area of concern with an airborne virus, such as Covid-19, is how it could spread indoors.

Royal Caribbean's ships utilize 100% fresh ocean air that is continuously supplied from outside.

Intake of air occurs on one side of the ship for cooling and ventilation, then the air is removed via exhaust on the opposite side of the ship.

This continual intake of fresh air replaces the air in any space, with a total air change up to 12 times an hour in staterooms, and about 15 changes an hour in large public spaces.

Fan coil units in your stateroom and public spaces provide an extra layer of protection, continuously scrubbing the air of pathogens, using a high-grade MERV 13 filter that captures aerosols 1 to 3 microns in size with 90% efficacy — fine enough to filter cold and flu germs and coronavirus.

An independent study by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the National Strategic Research Institute onboard Oasis of the Seas confirmed that cross-contamination of air between adjacent spaces is virtually impossible thanks to this powerful system.

Upgraded medical care

One big change Royal Caribbean has made with its ships since the restart is to add doctors and nurses onboard each sailing and provide them with state-of-the-art equipment onboard.

In the event of a suspected case of COVID-19, Royal Caribbean is fully prepared with immediate medical evaluations, rapid COVID-19 testing and dedicated zones for COVID-19 care, more critical care beds on each ship, and robust treatment plans.

What happens if I test positive for Covid-19 during my cruise?

For many people, the concern is greater about being "stuck" on a ship than the effects Covid-19 has on them.

If you test positive for COVID-19 during the cruise, Royal Caribbean will cover the costs of Covid-19 related medical treatment onboard, any required land-based quarantine, and travel home for you and any family members living with you in the same household and traveling companions assigned to your stateroom on the cruise.

Royal Caribbean has even flown passengers home that tested positive for Covid-19 via private jet.

Constantly re-evaluating protocols

Without a doubt, recommendations from public health officials based on what we know about Covid-19 changes a lot. As a result, Royal Caribbean has said they are monitoring these changes and adjusting protocols as needed.

The new stricter mask rules were announced on many ships during the sailing, requiring an adjustment in protocols mid-voyage.

Royal Caribbean was uncompromising with its dedication to ensuring it has the best protocols in place when they announced the changes in an email, "We're sorry for any disappointment that this may cause, but hope you understand that health and safety come first."

Changes in protocols have been a constant since cruises restarted this year, but Royal Caribbean has also given guests the greatest flexibility in changing their minds without penalty.

While airlines have rolled back policies that gave their customers the ability to cancel for any reason, Royal Caribbean retains that ability through its Cruise with Confidence program.

Guests can cancel their cruise for any reason up to 48 hours before the cruise departs and get a 100% credit to be used on a future cruise.

Royal Caribbean even pushed back final payment dates for cruises in the first 5 months of 2022 so everyone has more time to decide on what to do about their vacation.

A mere half mile from where the cruise ships dock in Nassau, Bahamas, Margaritaville opened its newest resort in July 2021. 

The resort offers day passes that cruise passengers can purchase to experience some of the resorts amenities. 

What does a Margaritaville Beach Resort day pass include, and how is the experience? Marcy visited the resort on a December 2021 cruise to check it out.

What’s included?

The day pass includes:

• The “Fins Up” Water Park admission
• $25 food and beverage credit
• Private beach access (chairs first come, first serve)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi.

Cost and Cancellation policy

The current price for the day pass is $115 per adult, $45 for children 3-12 and under 3 years old is free.

You can cancel your pass up until 11:59 p.m. the day before your arrival on their website, however, you can cancel by email up until 10 a.m. the day of your arrival. 

That’s great flexibility if the weather happens to be bad.

My experience

I booked the day pass online via the third-party website resortpass.com. 

While Margaritaville doesn’t give an exact number, it is stated on their website that they will limit the number of passes sold per day.  I received my confirmation email that stated I had to check in at the front desk with a valid photo ID.

We went to the resort on Sunday, December 19th while our Royal Caribbean cruise ship was docked in port for the day.

We decided to do the half mile walk from the ship to the resort, which took fifteen minutes (six of which was just getting out of the port). The walk between the ship and Margaritaville is relatively flat.

We arrived at the resort and headed inside to check in.  We were stopped and told the policy had changed and were directed around the corner to the water parks ticket booth.  We provided our names and were given a wristband and our $25 per person food and/or drink coupons.

The Fins Up Water Park

The water park opened at 10 am, and we were there right at opening.

The first thing I noticed was how clean it was. The park features one pool, a lazy river, a kids slide, three larger slides for all ages, one hot tub and a flow rider type ride that is a scaled down version of the ones on Royal Caribbean’s ships. 

There is also a ledge 10 feet up that you can jump off of into the 11 ft. deep pool.  That was something I had never seen before at a water park.

The pools are not heated, so being December, it was a bit chilly. However, it was a sunny day so the water felt nice. 

There’s a rock climbing wall however, it was not staffed nor did we see anyone climbing it.

Lounge chairs and beach towels are complimentary. There were also lockers located near the restroom & changing rooms. I wanted to get one so my husband and I could store our valuables and enjoy the lazy river together but we were told they were just installed and were not in use as of yet.

The complimentary WIFI was easy to access.  After signing in, a pop up message said the WIFI would only be active for a one hour window.  Ours ended up working the entire four hours we were there so I’m not really sure what the actual rule is.

The overall atmosphere was enjoyable.  There were jumbo screens on the hotel itself that played every genre of music you can think of. 

We heard everything from Bruno Mars to U2, country music, 1960’s blues, 1980’s classic rock, Christmas music from the Monkees to Mariah Carey and of course plenty of Jimmy Buffet.  The volume of the music was perfect.  It was raised but not loud to the point where you couldn’t hold a conversation.

Food and drinks

This is the area that needs the most help, especially if you want to enjoy some cocktails, or any beverage at all. 

There are two areas to get drinks while visiting. The one by the food window was closed, so there was only the main bar that had one bartender the whole time we were there.

It’s obvious they have a bit of a staffing issue.  In fact, on their website, they mention that they offer poolside food and beverage service which we did not experience.  

Make sure to bring your wallet because the food is expensive, and this is coming from someone that frequents Walt Disney World ,so I’m used to overpriced food.

We ordered a chicken wrap and a burger (both included fries) and two beverages with alcohol that totaled $85.  Remember we did have two $25 food credits so that brought it down to $35 but that just seemed very overpriced to me. 

Gratuity and VAT taxes were automatically added.  They only accepted credit cards, no cash. 

I really did enjoy my chicken wrap.  It was made to order so even though it took about 15 minutes to get the food, it was fresh and delicious.  My husband wasn’t impressed with his burger though.  It was overcooked and bland.  The drinks were very good. 

Final thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed the day. It wasn’t crowded, I assume because not many people are aware of the day pass offer.

I love a lazy river so I could have just floated around in there all day.  My husband’s favorite activity was the ten foot jump, he said it was the best thing there.   

Would I do it again?  Maybe. It was a great day but the way I look at it, I could get a full day at CocoCay’s water park, which offers more activities for a cheaper price that also includes food.

However, if you’re looking for something new to do in Nassau, or you’re a fan of Jimmy Buffet and the Margaritaville brand, then the day pass is definitely for you. 

Balcony cabins on a cruise ship come in locations all around the vessel, including some on the aft of the ship that are highly desirable for certain cruisers.

Aft balcony rooms are usually standard balcony rooms, but with a location that overlooks the back of the ship.

If you've talked about balcony location with some people that cruise a lot, then you may hear about how wonderful a cruise cabin an aft balcony is to book.

What's the difference between an aft balcony and a regular balcony room, and what should you know about these rooms?

What's special about an aft balcony

As the name implies, an aft balcony is a balcony that overlooks the back of the ship.

Aft balcony staterooms stand out because they offer a different kind of view from a standard balcony, which some cruisers find desirable.

Having a view of the ship's wake is something you may find relaxing and/or enjoyable to watch, especially while sailing out of a port.

In addition, the aft balcony rooms on some Royal Caribbean ships have significantly larger balcony space than a balcony cabin on the side of the ship. 

Essentially, you may end up paying a similar price as someone who books a balcony on the side of the ship, but get much more living space on your private veranda.

Another nice benefit of an aft balcony is you will not have noisy people walking by your door, compared to cabins midship.

Why you might not want an aft balcony

The principal drawback of an aft balcony is the distance of the room to the elevators.

On Royal Caribbean cruise ships, there are two elevator banks: at the front and middle of the ship. 

Depending on the size of the ship and your aversion to walking long(er) distances, the amount of walking to and from your room may be a concern.

In addition, aft balcony rooms can sometimes have less have a breeze compared to balcony rooms on the side. This will vary from sailing to sailing depending on the weather, but it is not unheard of to have a hotter balcony feel due to the lack of wind moving past.

Just like rooms at the very front of the ship, the sensation of movement can be potentially greater at the very back of the ship.

It's also possible an aft balcony may cost more than a balcony elsewhere on the ship.

One more thing about aft balcony rooms on Royal Caribbean: the aft balcony rooms on some ships can have obstructions. This is the case with Voyager and Freedom Class ships.

Tips for aft balcony cabins on Royal Caribbean

You will find aft balcony rooms on all Royal Caribbean cruise ships, but the more affordable ones will be on Vision, Radiance, Voyager and Freedom Class ships.

On Oasis and Quantum Class ships, the aft balconies are primarily suites that command a much higher price.

If you want to nab an aft balcony room, you will want to book it early. These cabins are among the most highly sought-after staterooms because of their desirable location.

Before booking, look at the deck plans for the ship you are going to sail on and investigate which aft balcony rooms have the extra balcony space.

Is an aft balcony worth it?

If having an extra large balcony and different views from your balcony is important to you, then an aft balcony can be worth booking.

You should be okay with the distance to the elevators, so anyone with mobility issues will want to avoid them. Likewise if you are sensitive to motion sickness and should instead book a room midship.

If you do want to book an aft balcony, be sure to act quickly and reserve it as soon as you can.

The views of the wake alone are usually what draws most people to booking an aft balcony.

More information

• Cruise FAQ: Cabins
• 7 things you should know about your cruise ship cabin
• What's the difference between a balcony and a suite cabin on a cruise?

If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise booked in April or May 2022, you will have more time to decide to make final payment.

Royal Caribbean announced it has extended the final payment window to 30 days-to-sailing (DTS) for April and May 2022 departures (excluding China & Singapore departures).

Prior to this change, the final payment had only been pushed back for cruises through March 31, 2022.

According to Royal Caribbean, this change was made to, "allow greater flexibility during these uncertain times." In short, it gives guests more flexibility in deciding if they want to cruise without forcing a cancellation earlier.

The final payment date window of 75 days for cruises 1-4 nights and 90 days for cruises 5+ night remains for sailings beyond May 2022.

No action is required on the part of guests or travel agents, and no cancellations will occur until the new final payment date.

By cancelling a cruise before the final payment date, they can get a full cash refund, if they booked refundable cruise fare.

Royal Caribbean had already announced an extension of its Cruise with Confidence program for bookings made by January 31, 2022.

The Cruise with Confidence program allows anyone with a cruise booked the ability to cancel up to 48 hours before the sail date and get the full value in a Future Cruise Credit that’s good to redeem until May 31, 2022. 

Between the Cruise with Confidence program and final payment extension, Royal Caribbean is looking to give consumers more time to decide if they want to move forward with their cruise.

You won't be able to smoke in Royal Caribbean's casino for at least a while.

Royal Caribbean informed passengers sailing on Mariner of the Seas,  Freedom of the Seas, and Harmony of the Seas the casino will not allow smoking inside due to the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

Three RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers reported announcements made on these ships on Monday that smoking will not be allowed in the casino so that guests can remain masked while in the casino.

@theRCLblog Presently on Mariner of the Seas and just announced - smoking banned in the casino until further notice.

— Matt Doyle (@mad24960) December 20, 2021

It is not clear yet if this is a fleetwide policy, nor if/when smoking in the casino will return on these ships.

The casino was the only indoor location passengers were allowed to smoke. This will leave just a designated smoking area on the pool deck for smoking.

Carnival Cruise Line announced a similar policy on Monday, banning smoking in its casinos through January 31, 2022.

Banning smoking in the casino comes on the heels of Royal Caribbean tightening up its Covid-19 protocols in general, such as requiring face masks to be worn by all passengers in vaccinated-only areas of the ship.

The casino is one of these vaccinated-only areas aboard Royal Caribbean ships.

Passengers may only remove their mask indoors in public areas while seated and actively eating or drinking.

Royal Caribbean has updated its website to indicate it will stop offering international cruise ship passengers a Covid-19 test onboard its ships, and instead refer them to land-based test sites.

Up until now, Royal Caribbean offered international passengers a complimentary Covid-19 test onboard its ships so that they could satisfy their home country test requirements to return.

The new policy is posted on Royal Caribbean's website that beginning January 5, 2022, optional tests for international re-entry will no longer be offered onboard.

International guests sailing on a cruise before January 5, 2022 will still be able to schedule a Covid-19 test onboard prior to debarkation day. Details on scheduling your test will be provided once onboard. 

Instead, Royal Caribbean will provide guests with testing locations at or near the cruise terminal for passengers to complete once the cruise is over. These providers are not affiliated with the cruise line, and testing costs will vary by location.

• At the Terminal — For your convenience, you can take a rapid PCR or antigen COVID-19 test right at the terminal upon debarking the ship and depart. Results will be emailed to you shortly after. 
• At the Airport — Guests traveling directly to the airport can schedule their rapid PCR or antigen COVID-19 test to be taken on-site with a test provider at the airport.  
• Local Testing Sites — If you’re staying in the area, there are various locations close to the terminal, the airport and hotels in the area where you can complete PCR or antigen COVID-19 testing.  

These options will be communicated to passengers once onboard in greater detail. 

Many countries require a negative Covid-19 test in order to return home after international travel, such as Canada.

Up until now, Royal Caribbean offered such tests onboard its ships for no additional charge.

In the case of Canada, travellers must have a negative COVID-19 molecular test (PCR, RT-PCR, NAAT, RT-LAMP) result. The test must be taken a maximum of 72 hours before the departure of their last direct flight to Canada.