Royal Caribbean Blog

Hi everyone, I'm really excited to announce our next live-blog experience as we get ready for a cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas for a 7-night Mexican Riviera adventure.

This is my first time trying this itinerary, and I hope it offers all of you a chance to preview what to expect if you ever wanted to give it a try.

Royal Caribbean had been absent from the West Coast of the United States for over a decade, so when Royal Caribbean announced a return, I had to give a try.

Most of the Navigator of the Seas cruises are just 3- and 4-night sailings, but if I was going to fly across the country for a cruise, it had to be for something longer.  Luckily, there are longer sailings on holidays, and it seemed like a good opportunity to spend our winter break on a cruise.

Why we chose this cruise

It's not often there is a brand new itinerary to try from the United States, so when Royal Caribbean started selling cruises from Los Angeles, I had to give it a try.

Finding an itinerary that worked with the kids' school schedule was not easy, but the price was right, especially for a holiday sailing and it allows the kids a bit of a break before and after the cruise before school resumes.

The prices for Navigator of the Seas' sailings from Los Angeles have been on the inexpensive side, which represents a great value for anyone that can get out there. 

On top of the fun itinerary, I love Navigator of the Seas and the upgrades she received has part of her amplification in 2019. Combine a great ship with a new itinerary, and you have an exciting plan.

My plans onboard

I'll be traveling with my wife and kids, and we have two connecting balcony rooms for this cruise.

Getting two connecting rooms instead of putting everyone in one cabin is one of my favorite family cruise tips because of how it doesn't break the bank and gives my wife and I some separation from the kids. Plus, an extra bathroom!

Since this is a holiday cruise that goes over Christmas, we decided to just do a 3-night dining plan so that I can do a few specialty restaurants, but enjoy the best the main dining room has to offer.

I'm also not sure what to expect in terms of how full the ship will be. Navigator did not restart cruises until November, but Royal Caribbean has been steadily increasing ship capacity across the fleet over the last six weeks, especially on holidays.

I'm hoping the weather will be warm enough to try out the waterslides onboard.  I've done both slides, but my kids have not. I think once we get down to Mexico, the temperatures should warm up considerably.

Something else that will be different for us will be the tightened mask rules that Royal Caribbean just announced. I've never stopped wearing my mask at home while indoors, so I'm not certain how much of a difference it will be, although I had gotten used to being in vaccinated-only areas and enjoying entertainment without a mask.  

My plans on shore

We will be visiting three ports of call on this cruise, and each is brand new to me: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.

Given that I've never been to any of these ports, I spent more time than usual to plan excursions because I not only want to see what each offers, but it may be a while before I return, so I want to maximize my time seeing the best each port has to offer.

In Cabo San Lucas, we booked the Deluxe Coastal Cruise through Royal Caribbean, which is described as a 2-hour catamaran where we will visit the rock formations of Land's End, check out a barking colony of sea lions, and then sail past a rare stretch of sand shared by both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. It's also whale season, so we may see migratory whales.

In Puerto Vallarta, I booked a private shore excursion through Royal Caribbean's Private Journeys program.

Royal Caribbean arranged a private vehicle with driver/guide to take us to a 4 star beach club with beachfront, pool, restaurant, full bar service, lounges, umbrellas, restrooms, showers and poolside service.

Finally, in Mazatlan, I booked an ATV tour on our own. We have a private 4x4 Rhino Safari ATV tour where the four of us will ride in a 700cc fully automatic Honda Big Red 4x4 Rhino on an ecological adventure through Mazatlan's backcountry.

What's next

Our trip begins tomorrow when we fly out to California for a few days pre-cruise touring. We'll spend a few days at Disneyland before boarding our cruise ship on Friday, December 24.

If you want a head start on this live blog, check out Jenna's quick two-night cruise on Navigator last month.

I will be sharing the details on the blog, as well as across my social media channels.  Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter for live updates throughout the day.

I invite you to share in this experience with me, by posting in the comments for any blog post questions and comments you may have.  I try to make these live blogs as interactive as I can, so I want everyone to feel welcome to share their thoughts.

Thanks for reading all of this and welcome aboard our next fun live blog experience!

Merry Christmas! The holidays are here, and so is our weekly round up of the articles and news we shared about Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean updated its mask policy this week to require passengers to wear them indoors, even while in vaccinated-only areas.

The tightened mask rule change comes as the omicron variant of Covid-19 has caused a spike in cases around the United States.

As a result, Royal Caribbean will now require all passengers to wear masks in all indoor public areas unless actively eating or drinking.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean releases 7-night Caribbean sailings for summer 2023
• Royal Caribbean will base Wonder of the Seas from Port Canaveral November 2022 - April 2023
• Royal Caribbean redeploys three Oasis Class cruise ships in 2022 & 2023
• Royal Caribbean will no longer let passengers get on or off the cruise ship at a different port of call
• Royal Caribbean previews new cruise terminal in Galveston
• Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas restarts cruises from Tampa
• Comparing the Royal Caribbean ships sailing in Alaska 2022
• Royal Caribbean updates: Water cans, Enchantment of the Seas repairs, and more!
• Back-to-back cruises tips and advice
• Royal Caribbean ships by size
• You will be able to renew your passport online thanks to new executive order
• How fast do cruise ships go?
• Comparing Royal Caribbean's Private Islands: CocoCay & Labadee

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 434th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, which has a list of mistakes passengers make when they get off their cruise ships.

The last morning of a cruise is when you have to unfortunately disembark, but there are some pitfalls you can avoid to ensure walking off the ship and getting home is much easier.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: 15 Royal Caribbean cruise hacks

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 15 Royal Caribbean cruise hacks — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

2022 Royal Caribbean Cruise Planning Guide

Have you got a Royal Caribbean cruise scheduled in the coming year? Or are you thinking of booking one? Planning a cruise can be a daunting task, but it's easy with our new guide.

It may come as a surprise to first-time cruisers just how much goes into planning a cruise vacation, so we wrote a guide to give you the basics of how to get started.

Check out our 2022 Royal Caribbean planning guide to give you some background information on each aspect of the cruise, with a ton of links to other blog posts that offer much more detailed information.

Royal Caribbean announced it has changed its mask rules aboard its cruise ships due to the surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.

In an email sent to guests, for sailings departing through January 5, 2022, face masks will now be required to be worn indoors at all times, unless actively eating or drinking. This new update also applies to vaccinated areas and venues.

This policy is in place for all sailings departing before January 5, 2022, at which point it will be reevaluated.

Masks are NOT required to be worn:

• In open-air areas of the ship, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• In the pool or any activity where they may become wet.
• In your stateroom when you are with your traveling party.
• While visiting our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• By any guest under the age of 2.

Masks ARE required to be worn:

• While indoors in public areas of the ship, unless seated and actively eating or drinking.
• While visiting public ports of call, where local regulations may require them.

Royal Caribbean says they consulted with their Chief Medical Officer, public health experts and governments to come to this change.

Royal Caribbean will notify guests booked on these sailings

Guests booked on these sailings are being reached out to and made aware of the change. 

The cruise line apologized for having to make this change, "We're sorry for any disappointment this may cause, but hope you understand that health and safety come first. Despite the new requirement, we know you will still have a great time onboard."

Prior to this change, vaccinated guests were able to remove their masks in certain indoor areas of the ship designated for fully vaccinated passengers, such as the casino, and certain bars and lounges.

In addition to Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line also changed their mask policy.

NCL informed guests sailing that masks will be required indoors on its ships when not actively eating or drinking.

In an email sent to passengers, NCL said, "We are asking guests to wear masks onboard while indoors, except when actively eating or drinking or when in their stateroom; wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible; and adhere to local regulations when visiting ports of call."

The uptick in Covid cases is not just a cruise ship problem.

The NFL announced today three Week 15 games have been postponed due to COVID-19 surge.

The NBA and NHL both announced postponements as well.

Royal Caribbean is building a new cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas, and shared a look at what it will look like inside and out.

Terminal 3 cruise terminal will be big enough to handle Royal Caribbean's largest cruise ships, and signifies a major investment in the Galveston cruise market by committing to invest millions of dollars to upgrade the facilities.

The new $125 million cruise terminal will open in Fall 2022, and Royal Caribbean shared new concept art for what it will look like. 

New cruise terminals are more than just a place to check-in and board your cruise. With the new building comes a smoother process, as well as enhancements in the embarkation and disembarkation procedures.

The entryway

Allure of the Seas will be the first ship to call Galveston home when the new terminal opens in fall 2022.

In total, the building is 161,300 square feet and Royal Caribbean says it will be a state-of-the-art building. 

It will also be a LEED-certified terminal (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which means it will be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. 

Construction of the terminal was delayed due to the global health crisis, but work began in April 2021 on the 10 acre parcel of land.

The new terminal is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.

Architects Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. came up with the look of the new terminal, but this firm is no stranger to Royal Caribbean. They also designed Terminal A in Miami, Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, and Port Everglades' Terminal 18 and 25.

Boarding area

The facility will feature state-of-the-art technology, including mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival.

Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships.

Read more: Royal Caribbean looks forward to big plans in 2022 and 2023

Guests who are booked in a suite will be able to enjoy a VIP area in the new terminal.

Many cruise terminals have separate seating for suite guests, and Galveston's new terminal looks to follow in Terminal A in PortMiami's approach to providing suite guests with their own "plussed" seating area before boarding begins.

Allure of the Seas will offer cruises from Terminal 3 beginning in November 2022.

Allure will sail 7-night Western Caribbean cruises to destinations like Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatan, Honduras.

Going on a back-to-back cruise means doing more than one cruise on the same cruise ship, and it's a popular way for passengers to extend their vacation fun beyond any published itinerary.

If you have ever gotten to the end of a trip and thought to yourself, "wouldn't it be nice to stay longer?", then a back-to-back cruise might be exactly what you want.

Many veteran cruisers will do multiple cruises in a row as a way to spend more time on a ship. Doing a back-to-back cruise comes with its own set of nuances and procedures that may give someone trying it for the first time a little bit of concern.

The good news is a back-to-back cruise is as fun as it sounds, and a very smooth process. Here's what you need to know about it all.

What is a back-to-back cruise?

When someone says they are doing a back-to-back cruise, it means they are doing multiple cruises in a row on the same ship.

Rather than get off the ship at the end of the cruise, they are remaining onboard for another sailing.  

Royal Caribbean refers to such guests "Consecutive Cruisers".

A similar concept is when someone goes on a sailing on one ship and then disembarks to board a different ship right after. That is known as a "side-to-side" cruise.

Why would you want to do a back-to-back cruise?

There are many reasons to consider doing more than one cruise in a row. The most obvious is to prolong your vacation, but there are other rationales as well.

Back to back cruises can allow you to maximize the value of your airfare. Rather than fly down for a 3-night cruise, doing a back-to-back means you get more time on the ship to justify the airline price.

In addition, doing a back-to-back cruise can expand the ports you visit. It is not uncommon for a ship to sail one itinerary and then follow it up with a different itinerary. In the Caribbean, ships often alternative between Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries. A back-to-back allows you to do both.

Speaking of itineraries, it also has an advantage if you are considering an open-jaw sailing.  In Alaska, some sailings begin in one port and end in another. By doing a back-to-back, you can avoid having to deal with flying to and from different cities.

How does a back-to-back cruise work?

The procedure for a back-to-back cruise is usually the same for most passengers.

Once on board the first cruise it's always a good idea to stop by Guest Services and ensure they have you on the list as a consecutive cruiser, otherwise they expect you to leave like a regular guest at the end of the first cruise.

Towards the end of the first sailing, passengers staying onboard for the next sailing will receive a letter in their stateroom on what to do on turnaround day.

In most cases, the letter instructs the passenger to report to a venue at a specific time.

When they arrive, a crew member will take their name and stateroom and sign them in.  Once all the other passengers are off the ship, guests staying onboard are escorted to the gangway where they scan their old SeaPass card and then are given new SeaPass cards to scan to begin the next sailing.

In the United States, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) dictates the process for consecutive cruisers.  More often than not they will require all guests disembark so that the ship reaches "zero count" before they allow guests for the next sailing to begin boarding. 

In some ports, consecutive cruisers are sometimes walked off the ship and into the terminal before returning onboard.  In either case, back-to-back cruisers are the last passengers off the ship and the first ones back onboard.

Sometimes consecutive cruisers are offered a special lunch or sometimes they are offered sparkling wine and mimosas upon reboarding.  This varies from ship to ship. 

How do I book a back-to-back cruise?

There are no specific back-to-back cruises to book; you simply book two cruises that happen to be one right after the other.

You book them as two separate cruises.  It's on you or your travel agent to find cabins that meet your needs.  

A good idea is to use two web browsers so you can do searches for cabins on two different dates at the same time. Find two dates and looking at each in a different browser to find cabins that are the same... or better yet, ask a travel agent to look for you. 

You can always book another cruise later on and turn it into a back-to-back, but you are less likely to find the same cabin.

Can I book the same stateroom for both sailings?

If you booked the same stateroom, yes.  Ultimately, it is up to you to book the same room.

The most desirable back-to-back sailing often means booking the same cabin for both cruises.  There is no check box for this when searching for cruise, it's up to you or your travel agent to find a cabin that is available to book for both cruises.  This is easier to do when booking cruises that are far in the future.  

When booking the cruises closer to sail date, it's often difficult or impossible to book the same cabin for both cruises.  The cruise line offers no assistance in this effort and they will not ask someone to change cabins so that you can stay on for the next cruise.

The advantage of having the same cabin for both sailings is you can leave your belongings in the cabin between cruises and even access your cabin while other rooms are being changed.

If I change cabins, how does my luggage move?

This is a bit of gray area, but usually your stateroom attendant will assist in the moving of luggage from one cabin to another.

Talk to your stateroom attendant towards the end of the first sailing about how to best move your belongings. Some attendants will offer to move everything for you, and some will instruct you to leave your bags outside the room to be moved.

To be perfectly honest, I always tip the stateroom attendant first for a job well done, and then ask about how to best move my luggage for the next sailing.

Is there a discount for back-to-back cruises?

Generally there is no discount for doing multiple cruises in a row.

Royal Caribbean does not recognize a back-to-back cruise as anything but two separate reservations that just happen to be right after each other.

In some situations, there has been a discount offered for passengers to stay onboard for another sailing by booking the next sailing at the NextCruise office. This tends to be rare, and not something to count on being offered.

Do I need to do the muster drill for each sailing on a back-to-back?

Yes, maritime law requires all passengers to conduct the mandatory safety drill on a cruise, regardless of if you did it last week or not.

While you are doing consecutive cruises, each cruise is a separate sailing, and the Coast Guard makes no distinction between someone going on more than one sailing and someone on for just one cruise.

Are there any restrictions on back-to-back cruises due to Covid-19?

Royal Caribbean welcomes guests to do as many back-to-back cruises as they as they wish, including kids of any vaccination status. 

There was a restriction on unvaccinated kids doing back-to-back cruises on the first sailings to return in 2021, but that has since changed.

The travel requirements and health protocols are the same as a single cruise, and back-to-back cruisers will need to meet all those requirements.

All guests 2 years of age and older, regardless of vaccination status, are required to take a COVID-19 test producing negative results between each sailing. This test will be arranged by Royal Caribbean at no expense to the guest, as long as your consecutive cruises are less than 3 days apart. 

Packing for a back-to-back cruise

Something easily overlooked when planning to do more than one cruise in a row is laundry. You'll need to pack wisely when your overall journey is longer.  

Some items can be repeated such as formal wear for both cruises.  Some items, like bathing suits, can be rinsed and hung to dry so they work for both cruises. 

Sometimes you just need to bring more clothes and more suitcases to last for both cruises, or just plan to pay for laundry services on board.  Royal Caribbean offers "wash and fold" specials that are not cheap, but not overly expensive either.

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship has resumed sailing this week.

Brilliance of the Seas is scheduled to sail from Tampa, Florida on Thursday, which marks Brilliance's return to service.

Brilliance of the Seas completed her test cruise earlier this month, and received its Conditional Sailing Certificate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to start cruising.

This will be the first time Brilliance sails with paying passengers in over 21 months.

Royal Caribbean requires all passengers 12 and older sailing from Florida to present proof of full Covid-19 vaccination with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing.

Children age 11 and under do not require Covid-19 vaccination to cruise. However, kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests. 

All unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 must undergo 2 more Covid-19 tests at the cruise terminal and prior to disembarking.

All crew onboard all ships in the fleet will be fully vaccinated.

Brilliance will offer 4- and 5-night Bahamas and Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa. Itineraries include stops in Costa Maya, Cozumel, Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Guests who have been vaccinated will have full access to venues onboard, and will not need to wear a face mask at vaccinated-only venues. Here is a list of venues and activities available to vaccinated-only guests, as well as everyone.

Brilliance of the Seas is just the latest cruise ship to return to service after being shutdown in early 2020. She is now the 19th Royal Caribbean International ship to restart sailings again.

Enchantment of the Seas will be the last Royal Caribbean cruise ship to restart cruises before 2021 comes to an end, with a few more ships scheduled to restart operations in early 2022.

Brilliance will sail from Tampa until the end of March, at which point she will move to Europe to begin her summer season.

Royal Caribbean released new 5-night cruises and 7- to 8-night sailings Caribbean sailings for summer 2023 that are available to book immediately.

Highlighting the new offerings is Allure of the Seas will sail from Royal Caribbean's new terminal in Galveston year-round and Wonder of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral year-round (Nov. 2022 – Oct. 2023).

Harmony of the Seas will move to Miami to be based there for the first time.

Summer 2023 Caribbean cruises are now open, with more Caribbean getaways to be revealed early next year.

Here's a look at what Royal Caribbean has planned for summer 2023 in the Caribbean:

Allure of the Seas sailing from Galveston will be the first Oasis Class ship to call Galveston home.

Royal Caribbean has extended Allure’s Texas debut in winter 2022-2023 and opened a lineup of 7-night Western Caribbean cruises. Itineraries include stops at  Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatan, Honduras.

The new cruise terminal in Galveston will open in October 2022.

The 161,300-square-foot and LEED-certified terminal, built in partnership with Galveston Wharves, was built to be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's largest ships, including Oasis and Icon Class ships.

Wonder of the Seas will offer summer cruises from the United States for the first time in 2023 when she sails from Port Canaveral, extending its newly announced 2022 winter season that starts in November.

Cruises on Wonder of the Seas will include 7-night  Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises. Highlights include Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Cozumel; and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Harmony of the Seas will transition to Miami, offering 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises to places like Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; Charlotte
Amalie; Oranjestad, Aruba; Costa Maya; and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Mariner of the Seas will continue to call Port Canaveral home and sail a variety of of 5, 7 and 8 night cruises to Bermuda, and the Eastern, Western and Southern
Caribbean.

And on all 8-night Bermuda and Perfect Day at CocoCay cruises, there are two nights in Bermuda.

View the full list of sailings:

• Allure of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Mariner of the Seas
• Wonder of the Seas

Should you book a 2023 cruise now?

Booking a cruise for two years from now may seem like a strange idea, but booking early is one of the best ways to save money on a cruise.

One good reason to book a sailing now is to lock in the price when it is among the lowest you will find. Cruise prices fluctuate a lot, and over time, prices tend to increase as people book up rooms.

You can always reprice the cruise later with the Best Price Guarantee program, which allows for repricing of cruises in case of a price drop.

Another good reason to book a 2022 cruise is if you are interested in a specific room.  Certain room categories or locations get booked up quickly because of their popularity and limited options.

Suites, staterooms with extra large balconies, and other unique staterooms are popular among cruise fans and booking now is a great way to secure these cabins for yourself.

More about Caribbean cruises:

• What is the best time to cruise to the Caribbean?
• Eight Southern Caribbean Cruise Tips & Secrets
• What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?

Europe 2023 deployment delayed

Europe was also scheduled to be released this week, but that has been pushed back.

Royal Caribbean updated its deployment schedule and the Europe 2023 cruises have been delayed for the second time.

Originally, Europe Summer 2023 was set to open the week of December 6, 2021, but they delayed it until the week of December 13. It will now be released on the week of January 3, 2022.

Three of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class cruise ships will play a game of musical chairs for sailings scheduled in 2022 and 2023.

The changes include some cancellations and redeployments, partially due to Royal Caribbean's announcement earlier today that Wonder of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral in November 2022 to April 2023.

The changes apply to previously scheduled sailings on Symphony, Harmony, & Wonder of the Seas.

Here is a breakdown of the changes:

Wonder of the Seas

Before today's announcement, Royal Caribbean had Wonder of the Seas sailing from China.  

Impacted sailings are between October 29th, 2022 – January 17th, 2023.

The Wonder of the Seas 10/29/22 – 1/17/23: China sailings are cancelled, since Wonder has been redeployed to Port Canaveral.

Non-China guests are provided option of 125% FCC or 100% Refund.

Harmony of the Seas

Wonder of the Seas will replace Harmony of the Seas in Port Canaveral, affecting Harmony of the Seas sailings between November 6th, 2022 – April 23rd, 2023.

The November 6, 2022 sailing is cancelled. Guests booked on this sailing will be provided option to rebook on a select sailing or 100% refund.

Harmony of the Seas sailings between November 13, 2022 – April 23rd, 2023 have been transferred to Wonder of the Seas.

Guests will be auto transferred from Harmony to Wonder in like for like accommodations with price protection.

Guests booked in suites on Harmony will be contacted directly. Downgraded suites will have all Suite Class amenities protected, along with $300 onboard credit per stateroom.

Royal Caribbean also modified the itinerary of 7 sailings:

• 5 itineraries removed Perfect Day at CocoCay. As a result, these bookings will be provided $100 OBC per stateroom.
• 2 other itineraries had ports of call changed, with no onboard credit offered.

Instead of sailing from Port Canaveral, Harmony will be redeployed to Fort Lauderdale between 11/12/22 – 3/4/23 to offer new 6- and 8-night itineraries.

Harmony of the Seas then moves to Miami for cruises between 3/11/23 – 4/22/23 to replace Symphony of the Seas.

Symphony of the Seas

Symphony of the Seas will have her deployment altered, but not replaced, for sailings between March 4th, 2023 – April 29th, 2023.

The March 4, 2023 sailing has been shortened from 7-Night to 5-Night. Guests will be provided $100 OBC to stay on sailing. They also have the option to stay on 5-night cruise, rebook a select sailing, or 100% refund.

Symphony of the Seas sailings between 3/11/23 - 4/29/23 have been transferred to Harmony of the Seas.

Guests will be auto transferred from Symphony to Harmony in like for like accommodations with price protection.

New itineraries

Royal Caribbean has provided new deployment fliers to reflect these changes.

• Wonder of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Symphony of the Seas

Europe 2023 deployment delayed again

Royal Caribbean updated its deployment schedule and the Europe 2023 cruises have been delayed for the second time.

Originally, Europe Summer 2023 was set to open the week of December 6, 2021, but they delayed it until the week of December 13. It will now be released on the week of January 3, 2022.

The world's largest cruise ship will call Port Canaveral and the Central Florida area home next winter.

Royal Caribbean announced the soon-to-be-launched Wonder of the Seas will be based in Port Canaveral between November 2022 and April 2023.

From Port Canaveral, Wonder of the Seas will offer sailings to the Eastern Caribbean, including stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The cruise line says the new sailings open later today.

Wonder of the Seas was already scheduled to spend summer 2022 in Europe, and at the conclusion of her season there, she will transition to Port Canaveral to begin her winter season from Florida.

Wonder of the Seas is finalizing the construction process before she debuts in March 2022 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The inaugural sailing of Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for March 2022. Wonder will spend a few months in South Florida before heading to Europe in May 2022.

Wonder of the Seas is the fifth Oasis Class cruise ship and will take away of world's largest cruise ship from Symphony of the Seas when she debuts.

Wonder is 236,857 gross tons, measures 1,188 feet in length, and has a maximum passenger capacity of 6,988 passengers, in addition to 2,300 crew.

In fact, Wonder has 100 cabins more than Symphony of the Seas.

Another difference between Wonder of the Seas and other Oasis Class ships is the addition of an eighth neighborhood to offer a private suite area onboard the ship. It will feature an exclusive deck with its own pool, bar and plenty of sun loungers, as well as nooks for lounging.

Read more: Wonder of the Seas tour

Planning a cruise? Here's some helpful articles:

• 2022 Royal Caribbean Cruise Planning Guide
• Guide to cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean
• Answers to common Royal Caribbean unlimited alcohol package questions
• Guide to Royal Caribbean's onboard activities
• How to find a deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Royal Caribbean won't let you embark the ship at a different port of call or leave the ship earlier during your cruise.

The policy on the cruise line's downline embarkation has changed, according to an update sent to travel agents via email.

Up until now, passengers were able to request to embark or disembark at a port of call other than the scheduled embarkation/disembarkation port.

"Down lining" was on a request basis only, subject to consideration and approval by Royal Caribbean.  While they used to allow down lining, they also  discouraged it due to implications resulting from unscheduled itinerary changes and weather/sea conditions, which would have resulted in missing a guest's port of embarkation/debarkation. 

Royal Caribbean will no longer allow cruise passengers to pre-plan early debark or late embarkation for any of our ships.

Why the change? As many countries continue to enforce travel restrictions, Royal Caribbean says the decision was made "in an abundance of caution for the safety and security of our guests." 

Should guests who reserved flights through Royal Caribbean's Air2Sea program experience delays in air travel that result in missed cruise embarkation, downlining to a future port-of-call remains an option as long as the guest is fully vaccinated and able to show proof of required Covid-19 test results prior to boarding.

Here is the full statement by Royal Caribbean:

“Royal Caribbean will no longer allow cruise passengers to pre-plan early debark or late embarkation for any of our ships. As many countries continue to enforce travel restrictions, this decision was made in an abundance of caution for the safety and security of our guests."

"Should guests who reserved flights through our Air2Sea program experience delays in air travel that result in missed cruise embarkation, downlining to a future port-of-call remains an option as long as the guest is fully vaccinated and able to show proof of required COVID-19 test results prior to boarding.”

Why would someone want to down line?

Joining a cruise ship after the cruise begins or leaving it before it ends sounds like an odd thing to want to do, but it happens more often than you might think.

A common reason to join the ship down line is if you miss the embarkation for some reason, or if at the end of the cruise you need or prefer to depart early for convenience.

Quite often it was used by someone who found a different port of call made it more convenient to join or depart the ship than where the cruise was scheduled to begin or end.

One of many Covid protocols

Over the past few weeks, Royal Caribbean has updated many policies as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some other recent actions include banning smoking in the casino, stricter mask rules, cutting off complimentary international Covid-19 tests and more.

Based on these changes, it appears the cruise line is looking to limit risk, as well as reduce the demand on crew members for certain functions.

The elimination of down lining not only cuts down on paperwork for the ship, but helps maintain the "bubble" approach to cruising in terms of limiting outside Covid-19 exposures.

Planning a cruise? Here's some helpful articles:

• 2022 Royal Caribbean Cruise Planning Guide
• Guide to cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean
• Answers to common Royal Caribbean unlimited alcohol package questions
• Guide to Royal Caribbean's onboard activities
• How to find a deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise