Royal Caribbean Blog

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship is ready to return to sea to get federal approval to sail again.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will depart Port Canaveral on Wednesday for a short 2-night simulated voyage.

The plan is for Mariner to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning back to Port Canaveral on Friday.

This is another simulated cruises required by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) as part of its phased approach to cruise ships restarting in the United States.

Royal Caribbean has been systematically getting its cruise ships back in service by staffing them up, operating a test cruise, and then once they get approval from the CDC, beginning revenue sailings.

The purpose of a test cruise is to demonstrate to the CDC that the onboard health protocols can work, and keep crew members and passengers safe.

While a recent lawsuit victory by the State of Florida made the CDC's Conditional Sail Order not required anymore, Royal Caribbean said it will continue to follow CDC cruise ship recommendations.

Something new for this particular test cruise will be the presence of volunteers who signed up to help go on a test cruise.

Since November 2020, Royal Caribbean has asked anyone interested in being a volunteer on a test cruise to sign up for the opportunity.  Mariner of the Seas is the first ship to sail with volunteers from the Volunteer of the Seas group.

The first test sailings relied on only Royal Caribbean employees, but as more ships return to service, the cruise line is relying on volunteers to step in and assist.

Test cruises on Oasis of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas are also scheduled soon, and both ships will also include volunteers.

Thus far, four other Royal Caribbean ships have successfully conducted test cruises: Freedom of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, and Allure of the Seas.

If the test sailing goes well, Mariner of the Seas could be ready for her first scheduled voyage on August 23.

What happens on a test cruise?

Test cruises are a combination of two things: health protocol demonstration and crew shakedown.

The CDC requires Royal Caribbean to test out a variety of the new health protocols onboard and simulate a few scenarios to ensure the ship and crew are prepared for any Covid-19 issues that could occur.

There is a list of activities that any cruise ship doing a test cruise must complete in order to pass the test.  The CDC gives cruise lines the option of completing these requirements over one or multiple sailings, but thus far, Royal Caribbean has opted to complete test sailings over the course of a single voyage.

Test cruises are necessary for any ship sailing in U.S. waters that will carry more than 250 passengers and crew.

Royal Caribbean also takes this opportunity to make certain the ship is ready for guests to arrive on revenue sailings, and rectify any issues that might pop up from an operations standpoint.

Why is Royal Caribbean doing test cruises?

Other cruise lines have opted to skip test cruises and require at least 95% of its passengers be fully vaccinated, but Royal Caribbean has not and that is because of the line's dedication to families.

Royal Caribbean has been adamant that it wants families to be able to cruise, including children who are not old enough to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

As a result, Royal Caribbean decided to take the extra time to do test cruises so that it could continue to welcome children onboard its ships.

Royal Caribbean International's senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, called the decision "obvious" given how many kids sail with Royal Caribbean, along with the cruise line's dedication to remaining a family brand. "A good 20 to 25 percent of our guests are kids."

Live test cruise coverage

RoyalCaribbeanBlog will be onboard this Mariner of the Seas test cruise, and I'll be sharing what it's like on a test cruise right here!

There will be daily live blogs to read, as well as live broadcasts on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Celebrity Cruises announced a new round of cancelled sailings for one of its ships that was scheduled to return to the United States, and it is because of a rule the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has for ships homeported outside the U.S.

Celebrity Cruises announced it has cancelled 4 sailings of Celebrity Summit between August 28 and September 11, 2021 because of the CDC's rule.

According to the CDC, the current requirements indicate that all ships operating with passengers outside of U.S. waters (i.e. ships with a homeport outside of the U.S.) will not be eligible to enter U.S. waters until 14 days after the last passenger disembarks.

A spokesperson for the agency told RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com,"At this time, there is no exception to this requirement; therefore, all ships planning to sail in U.S. waters under the conditional sailing order (CSO) will be required to sail without passengers for 14 days prior to entering U.S. waters."

This rule does not apply to cruise ships that homeport in the U.S. which sail to international waters. Rather, just ships embarking passengers in foreign countries.

The CDC added that they are "currently evaluating the need for options as ships want to reposition to the U.S. in the fall."

This policy has been in place since the start of the CSO in the agency's technical instructions.

 For ships currently outside of U.S. waters and not operating under the CSO, submission of the Enhanced Data Collection form for 14 days preceding the cruise ship’s expected arrival in U.S. waters is required prior to being assigned a color status.

It is unclear yet if other ships returning to the United States from Europe will also be affected by the policy.

In a letter to passengers booked on Celebrity Summit, the cruise line explained it was canceling the four sailings because of this CDC policy, "The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days."

Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas are all sailing European cruises this summer, and are scheduled to return at the conclusion of their season.

I've reached out to Royal Caribbean for an update on how this policy may affect current deployment plans, if at all.

Adventure of the Seas schedule looks to already have enough of a pre-built in gap when she finishes her sailings from Nassau, Bahamas and moves to Galveston, Texas.

Ever since Royal Caribbean restarted cruises again, it has been a bit of mystery when online check-in would open, but now that appears to be a lot easier to anticipate.

Before the cruise industry shutdown, online check-in was standard across the fleet to open right at the 90 day mark, but the exact date of when online check-in would open these days has been less standardized.

A new update to the Royal Caribbean app looks to now give guests advanced notice of the date online check-in will become available.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Jason Lickert alerted us to a new option for sailings listed in the Royal Caribbean app that have not yet opened for check-in now have a date when it will open.

In the Royal Caribbean app, select a sailing that has not opened for online check-in yet.  Instead of a message saying check-in isn't available, there is now a date listed of when it will become available.

Thus far, the date only appears in the app, and not after logging into Royal Caribbean's website.

While there is no pattern yet as to when online check-in will be available, at least there is now a date for guests to plan to log back in rather than randomly checking if it is available.

Online check-in is more important to guests now because the check-in times at the cruise terminal are enforced, and with check-in times beginning later than they did before the cruise industry shutdown, early check-in times go quickly.

The reason why check-in times are now enforced is to ensure social distancing in the cruise terminals. Royal Caribbean wants to avoid there being too many people congested in one particular area.

Once online check-in is available, time slots for arrival to the cruise terminal are shown in 30 minute windows.

If you arrive before or after the set time, you will be asked to wait outside until it is your turn.

The reason why an early check-in time matters is the earlier you board, the more time you have onboard the ship on the first day.  In addition, travel plans getting to the terminal may mean a later check-in time requires you to spend time outside the terminal instead of onboard the ship.

Going on a cruise ship for vacation doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

Royal Caribbean has restarted sailings again this summer, and with more ships set to resume sailings this year, lots of ships and itineraries to choose from.

One of the strengths of sailing with Royal Caribbean is the value they offer across their ships.  While you can splurge for a suite or spend lots onboard, there are some easy ways to keep your vacation budget in check and still have a great time.

I'm not talking about some theoretical vacation where you just sit in your cabin as a way to avoid temptation. Rather, there are some easy ways to have a great time onboard while saving money.

For anyone on a tight budget, or just someone who wants to make their money go further, I have some simple ways to have a great experience for as cheap as possible.

Book a recently refurbished ship

The best value right now in Royal Caribbean's fleet are its refurbished Voyager Class ships.

From 2018 to 2020, Royal Caribbean instituted a new ship upgrade program called the Royal Amplified program, which added multimillion-dollar upgrades to some of its biggest ships.

In my opinion, the Voyager Class ships have the best bang for your buck right now because they are at least 3 classes of ships "older" and "smaller" than the newer vessels, but they are still big ships with lots to do.  Add to that the recent upgrades and you have a really good price to book a cruise.

I would focus primarily on Mariner of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas, although Voyager of the Seas did get upgraded as well.  Adventure of the Seas had an upgrade before the Royal Amplified program began, but her amplification and Explorer of the Seas' amplifications were both cancelled due to the global health crisis.

In short, booking a Voyager Class ship will get you a big ship feel, with some great things to do onboard, without paying top dollar for it.

Read more: What was added to each Royal Caribbean ship during its Royal Amplified refurbishment

Pick a ship that visits Perfect Day at CocoCay

The key to saving money is to take advantage of all the free things Royal Caribbean offers, and their private island in The Bahamas has lots to do without spending extra.

Perfect Day at CocoCay is a private island for Royal Caribbean, which means there is no cost to walk off the ship and explore the island.  The vast majority of the things to do on the island are complimentary, including the beaches and a freshwater pool.

Nearly all the food on the island is included as well, so you can really enjoy a full day without spending anything extra.

If you have younger children, there are two splash zones that are free as well: Captain Jill Galleon and Splashaway Bay.  While it doesn't have the thrills of the water park, it is exactly what younger children want: lots of splashing and even a few tame slides.

Here's a list of what's included with your day at Perfect Day at CocoCay:

• Splashaway Bay
• Captain Jill Galleon
• Skipper's Grill
• Chill Grill
• Snack Shack
• Beach chairs and umbrellas
• Oasis Lagoon
• Chill Island
• South Beach
• Sports Courts
• Freshwater showers
• Tram service
• Beach access wheelchairs

Read more: 40 Perfect Day at CocoCay tips, tricks and secrets

Drink at ports of call

One of the top extra costs someone can incur on a cruise is alcohol.  Alcoholic beverages are not included in your cruise fare, so you are either paying for each drink as you order them or purchasing an unlimited drink package.

If you really want to save money on drinks, wait to do your drinking at the ports of call you visit.

The average price of a beer on Royal Caribbean is right around $8 before gratuity, and cocktails come in between $10 - $13 per drink.  If you opt to drink in one of the ports your ship visits, you will often find the same drinks at a fraction of that price.

In most ports, there are bars right near where your ship docks.  This means you do not have to go far to enjoy a cheaper drink.

Let Royal Caribbean pick your room

When you book your cabin, often there is the choice to pick a specific room, or let Royal Caribbean assign one for you.

When Royal Caribbean chooses a room for you, it is called a Guarantee Cabin, and that means they will ensure you get a stateroom of at least a certain category you designate.  It's even possible it could be a higher category, although I would not count on that happening.

Before you choose if you want a guarantee room or not, Royal Caribbean will show you the price difference. 

If you are worried this will mean they will assign you the worst possible room, that is actually not the case.

In many cases, other guests will book the absolute cheapest room they can find.  Meanwhile, the folks with guarantee cabins end up with a not so bad location.

The other consideration is how much time will you actually spend in your cabin? On cruises, cabins tend to be a place for sleeping, showering, and getting dressed. Otherwise, you are out and about.  So saving money on your room means more money to spend elsewhere.

Read more: Should I book a guarantee stateroom on a cruise?

Bring your own wine and drinks

Let's go back to drinking again, because this is one of my favorite tips for how to save money on your bar tab.

Royal Caribbean allows all guests to bring up to 2 bottles of wine (750 ml) per cabin onboard their ship on embarkation day.  You can drink this wine in your cabin, or bring it to a restaurant or bar to be opened.

There is a corkage fee with bringing your own bottle of wine to a bar or restaurant, although in practice, the corkage fee is only sometimes applied.  Regardless, bringing your own wine means you can not only bring your favorite type and brand, but purchase it at retail prices instead of the upcharged prices you would find onboard.

In addition to wine, Royal Caribbean also allows a limited amount of non-alcoholic beverages to be brought onboard on embarkation day.

You can bring up to 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage (soda, bottled water, etc).

Read more: What food or drinks you're allowed to bring on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Try the spa while ship is in port

With all the money you are saving with these other tips, maybe you would like to treat yourself to a massage while onboard.  

The best way to save money and get the lowest possible price for any service in the spa is to book something while the ship is in port.

Quite often the spa runs daily specials, with the best prices being when the ship is docked in a port of call because most guests are off the ship, and there is significantly less demand for the spa services.

You can wait to see the daily spa specials advertised in the Cruise Compass, or go to the Vitality Spa and ask what offers they have during the sailing.

Read more: Cruise FAQ: Saving Money

Walk around ports instead of booking a tour

When your ship visits a port, don't feel as though you need to book a tour in order to explore a port.

Subject to current health protocols, most ports are great places to walk off the ship and simply explore on your own.  There is usually a built up port area you can walk around that has bars, shopping, and maybe even a cultural sight or two.

Some ports are even close enough to a city that you can easily walk from the ship to the downtown area and explore on your own.  

If the main attractions are not walkable, taxis are usually very inexpensive options.

Read more: 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Look for shoulder season cruises 

When it comes to finding the lowest prices for a cruise, try the shoulder season.

These are the times of the year before and after the peak of a given season, when ships are sailing, but demand is significantly less.  This could be because the weather is not as ideal, school is still in session, or just before or after a ship transitions to a new area.

The cheapest times of the year to cruise the Caribbean will be....

• January (minus New Years week) [School in session]
• First two weeks of February [School in session]
• May [School in session]
• September [Hurricane season]
• October [Hurricane season]
• First two weeks of December [School in session]

Read more: What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?

Update 8/20/21: Royal Caribbean confirms the Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card Test, which is taken at home and supervised by a telemedicine professional, is accepted. It must be taken under live video supervision.

Royal Caribbean recently added a new requirement for anyone going on a cruise from the U.S. will need to get a Covid-19 test taken before the sailing, and there is now a new option available to get that completed.

The cruise line has updated the test requirement policy on its website to say it would allow home/self-tests if there is documentation can be provided from a medical professional that they were supervised.

With this change, the at-home tests that are done in a video conference with a medical professional are acceptable. These tests can be completed in 15-minutes and do not require finding an appointment at a nearby testing center.

Over the last two weeks, Royal Caribbean has introduced a new requirement for passengers where they must provide a negative PCR or antigen test for Covid-19 during check-in.

This test must be taken no more than three days prior to sailing and must be arranged by each guest at their own expense with an accredited test provider.

Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test is supervised and administered remotely via Zoom. Results are available within 15 minutes.

The test can be self-administered using a short nasal swab (not the deep and invasive nasopharyngeal swab) and check test results in 15 minutes.

The at-home tests by Abbott does require a prescription, which allows for someone to fill out a form to apply for an online prescription.

Results are available instantly email, as well as through the manufacturer's app. There is also a QR code provided to be shared via text, email and other methods.

The test can be used on children as young as two years old when samples are collected by an adult and for all people aged 15 years or older.

One issue with these at-home tests is there are reports of hours-long wait times due to an increase in demand for tests. Your experience may vary depending on when you opt to take the test.

Florida's showdown over businesses being able to require customers to show proof of a Covid-19 vaccine has ended in a legal loss.

United States District Judge Kathleen M. Williams granted Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) a preliminary injunction which would allow a cruise line to require passengers to prove they are vaccinated against Covid-19 if sailing from Florida.

Judge Williams said in the docket that the combination of trying to restore consumer confidence and the Delta variant contributed to NCLH's win.

"Businesses face unprecedented challenges, including the understandably difficult tasks of restoring consumer confidence and minimizing the spread of COVID-19. In addition, the nation is now threatened by new virus variants that are more transmissible than the initial strain."

NCLH sued Florida because it wanted to ensure every single person sailing on its ships are vaccinated, which would violate a Florida law that was passed earlier this year banning such a practice.

In May, the Florida Legislature passed and Governor DeSantis signed into law a bill stating that all business entities “may not require patrons or customers to provide any documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-infection recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or services from the business operations in this state,” subject to the imposition of a fine not exceeding $5,000 per violation.

The cruise line sued Florida so that it could restart sailings from Florida on the Norwegian Gem on August 15, 2021, and the company had adopted a policy requiring all passengers on its vessels to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to provide documentation confirming their vaccination status before boarding.

NCLH argued that law violated its First Amendment rights and dormant Commerce Clause claims.

Judge Williams felt the fact the law allows businesses to require proof of a Covid-19 vaccine for its employees, while at the same time cannot demand the same proof of its customers makes it known as a "content-based restriction".

The Judge pointed out that the law prevents proving a customer is vaccinated, but allows the cruise lines to limit unvaccinated passengers’ access to events, activities, and venues.

Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas do not have access to certain dining venues, the casino, art auctions, the indoor pool, or the spa and during shows, they are required to sit in the back of the theater. (DE 35-1 at 22–29.) Princess and Carnival have also limited the excursions available to unvaccinated guests at ports of call.  Thus, Section 381.00316 does not prohibit businesses from treating unvaccinated passengers differently by charging them more while offering them less. 

She also pointed out that adult-only cruises, which exclude a significant amount of unvaccinated people (children), is not prohibited under the law.

In sum, if combatting discrimination were the goal, merely banning the exchange of COVID-19 vaccination documentation is an ineffective way to accomplish this objective because the Statute does not directly prohibit the treating of unvaccinated persons or those who decline to verify their vaccination status by businesses and employers differently.

In addition, the privacy of customers is not protected by this law, saying it is "far too underinclusive" to protect medical privacy, if that were a goal of it.

The Statute does not govern employers, who are free to require COVID-19 vaccination documentation from employees, and Defendant does not explain why the exchange of these documents is less intrusive on medical privacy in the employment context.

The Judge pointed out that businesses and employers are able to require Covid-19  test results, hospital records,other vaccination records, as well as information regarding exposure to third parties with Covid-19.  Therefore, Florida failed to explain why proof of Covid-19 vaccination documents are more medically sensitive or need more protection than these other documents.

During the hearing, it was divulged the law does not prohibit a business from providing their Covid-19 vaccine status orally, nor does it prevent a company from retaining, disclosing, or publishing a person’s Covid-19 vaccination status.

Cruise lines have subjected unvaccinated passengers to different policies that easily disclose their unvaccinated status.

Royal Caribbean provides unvaccinated patrons with a “hole punched in their SeaPass” to indicate their status to crewmembers and segregates these passengers to one deck of the main dining room

In addition to NCLH's First Amendment claim, Judge Williams agrees that the law imposes substantial burdens on interstate commerce that will directly affect their abilities to operate the Norwegian Gem and other vessels.

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend! Now it is time to sit back, relax, and catch up on all the Royal Caribbean news from the week!

Royal Caribbean announced this week when exactly the rest of the ships in the fleet will restart sailings.

The cruise line laid out a plan for which ships will restart between September 2021 and early spring 2022.

Under the newly announce plan, 13 ships will be able to restart operations slowly with the date of when each vessel will have its first sailing announced.

Royal Caribbean also announced cancellations to correlate with the new restart dates.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean will require pre-cruise Covid test for 3 & 4 night cruises
• Royal Caribbean Group reports $1.3 billion loss second quarter 2021 amid fast restart plans
• Royal Caribbean expands mask requirement to Adventure of the Seas sailings
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO: People are eager to cruise again
• Royal Caribbean extends Anthem of the Seas season in the UK
• How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works
• Allure of the Seas gets CDC approval to sail
• Carnival joins Royal Caribbean in requiring pre-cruise Covid tests and masks for vaccinated passengers
• Royal Caribbean sees strong demand for cruises despite temporary Delta variant concerns
• Hearing held in Norwegian Cruise lawsuit against Florida in vaccine passport ban
• Royal Caribbean offering up to 35% off Cruise Planner purchases with Sun's Out Sale's On
• U.S. Virgin Islands requires all cruise ship passengers 12 and older to be fully vaccinated
• CDC updates guidance to Royal Caribbean on banning mixed vaccines
• Two Royal Caribbean cruise ships begin simulated cruises
• Royal Caribbean is flying passengers home on a private jet if they have Covid-19

Video: Things I wish Royal Caribbean would change now that cruises are back!

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: Things I wish Royal Caribbean would change now that cruises are back!

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 417th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt interviews Royal Caribbean Group Chief Product Innovation Officer, Jay Schneider.

Mr. Schneider shares a peek behind the proverbial curtain to talk about what his group has been doing during the cruise industry shutdown.

Please subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! 

When do you have to take a Covid test before your Royal Caribbean cruise?

If you have a cruise coming up, you are going to need to get a Covid test result, so when should you actually make an appointment for a test?

Many cruisers are confused as to when they should plan to get a test to ensure the results come back in time, but not take the test too early either.

The logistics of when and where to get a test before your cruise is somewhat confusing, so here is what you need to know about getting a Covid-19 test before your cruise so you can get onboard without any issues.

How Royal Caribbean invested in new port projects and tech during the cruise industry shutdown

Royal Caribbean may have been shutdown for 15 months, but that does not mean there has not been any progress made behind the scenes.

Royal Caribbean Group Chief Product Innovation Officer, Jay Schneider, shared a look at the product development and private destination innovations his group has been busy working on since the shutdown began.

Mr. Schneider talks about updates to Royal Caribbean's app, its private beach destinations, and even new ship upgrades.

Cruise ship passengers that test positive for Covid-19 are not just left behind at the nearest port. In fact, Royal Caribbean takes the health and safety of passengers, crew members, and the communities their ships visit seriously enough to hire private transportation home.

Unlike other industries that have had little to no government regulations regarding their Covid-19 response and protocols, the cruise industry has been held to a much higher standard with requirements and oversight.

Exemplifying the cruise industry's commitment to the welfare of its guests is the fact anyone that has tested positive for Covid during the course of a cruise has been flown home in a private jet.

Considering the expense and logistics involved in flying anyone home at the last minute on private transportation, the fact Royal Caribbean is using private jets and limousines for those afflicted with Covid is rather impressive.

Royal Caribbean says vaccinated guests and children not yet eligible to be vaccinated who book a cruise sailing on or before October 31, 2021 will have the following Covid-19 Assistance at no extra charge.

• 100% cruise fare refund for you, and your Travelling Party, if any of you tests positive for Covid-19 within 14 days prior to the cruise or at the boarding terminal.
• Pro-rated cruise fare refund if your cruise is cut short for reasons related to Covid-19.
• 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 your Traveling Party.

Unvaccinated guests age 12 and older sailing from Florida homeports who booked prior to March 19, 2021 or after June 28, 2021 will not be subject to this Covid-19 Assistance, and must provide proof of travel insurance as outlined in prior to boarding.

Two RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers recently had the unfortunate opportunity to be flown home during their cruise due to Covid.  

Daniel was on Adventure of the Seas in June when towards the end of his cruise, he tested positive for Covid during a routine Covid test for all passengers. Everyone else in his traveling party tested negative.

Daniel was fully vaccinated and followed protocols, but unfortunately had to end his cruise early when he tested positive.

Daniel said a half hour or so after taking the test, crew members approached him on the pool deck and informed him he needed to quarantine in his room due to the positive test.

After the second test came back positive, he put on a hazmat suit and was brought to the ship's medical center to get bloodwork, urinalysis, and chest x-ray.

"The care was lovely and touching since I was scared, anxious, etc," he recalls.

After that he was quarantined in an oceanview stateroom and supplied with water, cleaning supplies, and unlimited room service.

He and his family were disembarked in Cozumel, where Royal Caribbean arranged for an ambulance to the airport, a private jet ambulance home and a limo van waiting for him in Tampa International Airport.

"Wonderful care and service from the flight crew," David said of getting home. "Royal Caribbean was amazing how they handled this nerve wracking experience."

Another RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader, smokeybandit, was on Adventure of the Seas more recently, and through contact tracing, his son was identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive on the ship.

He shared the experience on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards.

"We never really asked for details on when or what they defined as a close contact since I figured we'd never get that detail as I'm sure they'd cite privacy.

Like Daniel, smokeybandit and his family were quarantined initially while another PCR test was administered. Just like Daniel, they were given complimentary room service, wifi, movies, etc.

Smokeybandit's family was taken off the ship in Nassau and boarded a limo van, where they were driven to the plane and flew directly home. 

His family boarded a 6 passenger Learjet that can convert to an air ambulance.  

Once they arrived home, a town car was waiting for his family to take them home.

Smokeybandit indicated that the transportation home was covered by Royal Caribbean, although he did have his own travel insurance.

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship has gotten approval to sail from the United States.

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas has received its Conditional Sailing Certificate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which means the ship can offer cruises with paying passengers onboard.

This certificate is the final phase of the CDC's phased approach, known as the Conditional Sail Order (CSO), to allowing cruise ships to resume operations from the United States, and is yet another ship in the fleet to get approval by the U.S. government to sail.

Allure of the Seas had her 2-night test cruise conducted on July 27.

The cruise line shared the good news on social media, although it has not always shared publicly which ships have gotten approval to sail following a test cruise.

Allure of the Seas is scheduled for her first sailing this weekend when she departs Port Canaveral on August 8.

Allure joins Freedom, Serenade, and Odyssey of the Seas as ships able to restart cruises after getting CDC approval.

Update: More progress. After a successful simulated cruise, #AllureoftheSeas has received its CDC Conditional Sailing Certificate to welcome its first guests in @PortCanaveral starting on Sunday, Aug. 8. ? pic.twitter.com/dYP5y2WEl0

— Royal Caribbean PR (@RoyalCaribPR) August 6, 2021

Test cruises are part of the CSO that the CDC implemented as a way for cruise ships to resume operations.

Since Royal Caribbean will not require at least 95% of its cruise passengers to be fully vaccinated, test cruises are needed to demonstrate to the CDC that the onboard health protocols work.

All of the crew members will be fully vaccinated on Allure of the Seas, and any unvaccinated guests (mainly children, according to the cruise line) will be subject to additional testing requirements and specific health protocols. 

Sailings on Allure of the Seas will require all guests to get a pre-cruise Covid test up to 3 days before the ship sails, and to bring the negative test result to the ship.

The new test requirement of all guests is a new protocol recently introduced due to the Delta variant and Covid cases subsequently rising across the country, especially in Florida.

Once onboard, Royal Caribbean has new health protocols for guests depending if they fully vaccinated or not.

All guests must wear face masks while indoors, but the mask can be taken off when in a fully vaccinated area, and/or while actively eating or drinking. Masks are also not necessary when outdoors or at the cruise line's private island.

Vaccinated guests also wear a wristband to easily identify themselves as vaccinated, while unvaccinated guests have no such wristband and have a hole punched in their SeaPass card.

Lawyers for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) and the State of Florida were in court on Friday to deliberate the merits of the lawsuit against a ban on Covid-19 vaccine passports.

The preliminary injunction hearing was held in a virtual court hearing between attorneys from both parties as Judge Kathleen M. Williams in Miami heard both sides of the case.

This court case is NCLH's claim that Florida's law that prohibits businesses from requiring proof of Covid-19 immunity in return for a service. Violations of this law come with a $5,000 penalty per violation. It went into law as of July 1.

In May, Florida signed a new law that prohibits businesses, schools, and government agencies from requiring people to show documentation certifying Covid-19 vaccinations or post-infection recovery before gaining entry.

The attorneys for NCLH argued a variety of issues, primarily focusing on company's first amendment right by restricting the flow of information with customers and interferes with interstate commerce.

NCLH sued Florida’s surgeon general, Dr. Scott Rivkees, because he is the head of Florida's Health Department.

Florida justifies the law by saying it is enacted to protect against discrimination privacy concerns.

The cruise line felt the law was passed by Florida's legislature without any proof there was an actual problem with a particular industry to substantiate concerns vaccine requirements were creating any sort of problem.

In the case of protecting against discrimination, NCLH's lawyer pointed out employers can can still require vaccine documentation for Covid-19 from employees, suppliers, or contractors.

Florida said a cruise line can ask for proof of vaccination and its customers are free to provide it, but the cruise line cannot deny entry to the ship for anyone who declines to provide documentation.

Norwegian is planning to restart cruises from Florida on August 15, but wants the Florida vaccine passport ban lifted before then so the company does not violate the law each time a passenger is asked to show vaccination proof.

At the conclusion of the nearly 2 and a half hour hearing, the Judge said she hopes to have a response "very soon".