Florida's Department of Health released a list of groups and companies under investigation for possibly violating Florida's ban on companies asking for proof of vaccine, and Royal Caribbean is on the list.

In May 2021, the Florida Legislature passed a new law that states 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 list of 120 groups was released by the the Department of Health in response to a public records request by the Orlando Sentinel.

Royal Caribbean is among many other companies that made the list, including the Miami Marlins, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s counterterrorism squad, and AT&T.

Royal Caribbean is not the only cruise line on the list. Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line also made the list.

Violators could face a $5,000 per violation fine, which is enforced by Florida's Department of Health.

If a violation is issued, there is a right for a hearing before an administrative law judge.

Florida Governor's press secretary said Christina Pushaw has said the state would not enforce the law for the cruise industry until a decision is made on the injunction.

Last week, Florida announced it would appeal the decision against it in its fight with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) over the vaccine passport ban.

According to court documents, Florida believes the U.S. constitution gives companies no right for private companies to refuse service to prospective customers who fail to disclose private medical documentation.

NCLH said in the court proceedings Florida's law violated its First Amendment rights and dormant Commerce Clause claims.

Our first port stop on Ovation of the Seas brings us to the small town of Ketchikan in southeast Alaska. The scenery, history, and culture of the island far exceeded my expectations, making today a truly unforgettable travel experience.

After waking up just as the sun was rising around 7am, we ate a quick breakfast in the Windjammer. We continued our daily tradition of heading to the Windjammer’s outdoor deck to see some amazing views of Alaska on both sides of the ship.

Prior to my sailing, I researched what Alaskan weather would be like in October and expected every day to be extremely cold, rainy, and windy. However, the weather today was only slightly chilly and had only very light rain throughout the day! Watching the fog roll over the rainforest and the slow movement of the glassy water was a peaceful start to the day.

We took advantage of the nice weather and disembarked the ship around 7:30am. As we booked a shore excursion later in the morning, we had a little time to explore Ketchikan before the tour began.

Ketchikan is known as Alaska’s first city and the salmon capital of the world. Non-natives were attracted to the resources Ketchikan offered, such as fish and lumber, and formally established the town in 1892. Ketchikan is very small and walkable. In fact, there are no roads out of the island and many of the locals I talked with said they do not own cars.

The port is located right in the center of town. Once you get off the ship, there is a Visitor’s Center where you can learn more about the island and excursion opportunities. There are also many souvenir shops and restaurants nearby.

The architecture in Ketchikan reminded me of a historic mining town and it was fun to walk around and explore on our own. The town is dotted with totem poles created by the native Tlingit people of Ketchikan, which was really fascinating to see, and spectacular views were abound everywhere we looked.

At 9am, we headed back to port to board a bus for our shore excursion. Originally, our cruise was not supposed to go to Ketchikan. Due to a storm in the Sitka area, though, our itinerary changed. Therefore, we decided to book the Saxman Native Totem Village excursion in Ketchikan.

This excursion brought us to Saxman, a small town right next to Ketchikan primarily inhabited by the Tlinget people. The tour began with a brief lesson on the history and culture of the Tlinget people, who have inhabited Alaska for thousands of years.

We then enjoyed a dance ceremony by a group of locals dressed in traditional wear. It was fascinating to see and learn about a culture that has existed for so long in the place we were visiting for just a a few hours.

We then walked outside to a path lined with totem poles, which tell traditional stories passed down through history or are created to honor a specific person or animal. The totem poles are traditionally painted black, blue, and red.

After a quick stop to see where the totem poles are carved, we made our way back to the center of Ketchikan to continue exploring on our own.

While we originally planned to eat at the Alaska Fish Market right on the water, the line was pretty long, so we looked for somewhere else to eat. On the way, we passed the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, which looks like a really fun activity to do in Ketchikan.

Lunch took us to the Pioneer Cafe, where we enjoyed classic diner food in a 50’s inspired setting.

There were still a few hours left in port after lunch, so we walked to Creek Street, the former red light district in Ketchikan. This was one of my favorite areas of the city, with historic buildings and walkways lined up against a creek.

We explored the walkways and got out our binoculars to watch two seals playing in the water.

At the end of Creek Street, a path continued into the forest which led to a lodge up the hill. Ketchikan is in the Tongass National Forest and is covered in lush greenery, so the walk was especially beautiful and featured great views of the city, the rushing water, and Ovation of the Seas.

My dad and I have a goal of visiting a brewery in each Alaskan port we visit, and today we visited the Bawden Street Brewing Company in Ketchikan. It was a quaint space with fresh beer on tap and we had no complaints!

Before getting back onboard, we stopped by one of the souvenir shops lining the street in front of the port to buy gifts to bring back home.

Once onboard, I headed to my cabin to relax before walking over to the North Star. Unfortunately, the captain decided to leave port a little earlier to avoid storms at sea, so our North Star time would not be operating. I was hoping to get the chance to get on the North Star on this sailing, but it looks like I may be out of luck since it is fully booked!

Sailaway featured more unbelievable views, and we grabbed a drink at the pool bar to watch the scenery pass by.

Dinner tonight was at Silk, one of the main dining areas on Ovation of the Seas, where we enjoyed Indian curry, chicken parmesan, arugula salad, and dessert.

Tired from a long day of exploring, we relaxed in the Solarium briefly before heading to Two70 to watch Pixel’s Cabaret.

I failed to understand the storyline of the show, but the dancing and technology was impressive as always! So far, my favorite show onboard any Royal Caribbean ship has been “The Book” in Two70 on Odyssey of the Seas.

After Pixel’s Cabaret, I brought my laptop to the pub to listen to the guitarist and write this blog post. And now I’m off to bed!

Tomorrow we are due to arrive in Juneau at 10AM.

Stray Observations:

The shows and activities filled up quickly on this sailing due to a higher capacity. If you’re sailing soon, be sure to book entertainment and activities as soon as they appear in the Cruise Planner.

Royal Caribbean’s app often has several tech problems. The biggest problem I’ve encountered is that there is no option to change a time of a reservation without canceling the reservation first. I wanted to switch the time of our Ripcord by iFLY flight, but I had to cancel the reservation first and then the time I planned to switch to was no longer available.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Gene from Massachusetts informed me today at the pool bar that there are no Ovation of the Seas magnets available to purchase onboard, so he can’t add to his collection!

Don’t trust the weather forecast too much in Alaska. Like in the Caribbean, the weather changes frequently throughout the day here. I thought it would rain all day today, but the rain was very light and only happened on and off throughout the day.

Live Blog Index

• Ovation of the Seas Live Blog - Day 5 - Skagway
• Ovation of the Seas Live Blog - Day 4 - Juneau
• Ovation of the Seas Live Blog - Day 3 - Ketchikan
• Ovation of the Seas Live Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
• Ovation of the Seas Live Blog - Day 1 - Embarkation
• Ovation of the Seas 2021 Live Blog - Preview

I hope everyone reading this is having a wonderful Sunday and enjoying some time this weekend with friends, family and some good food too.  There was a lot of Royal Caribbean news this week, and we have summarized all up into one easy-to-read blog post for your convenience!

Many cruise fans took notice of a change to Royal Caribbean's The Key program as it begins to be offered again.

The Key is Royal Caribbean's VIP access program that guests can optionally purchase, and the changes are primarily a result of Covid-19 protocols.

Royal Caribbean is changing what The Key gets you, including modifying the embarkation day lunch, check-in procedure and more.

Royal Caribbean News

• Florida appeals verdict in cruise ship vaccine requirement lawsuit
• Get up to $500 in statement credits back when you book a Royal Caribbean cruise through new Amex offer
• We are live blogging this week from Ovation of the Seas in Alaska!
• Complete guide to Odyssey of the Seas
• Review: Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package vs. Crown and Anchor daily vouchers
• Extra tips to prepare for a cruise if you have anxiety
• Traveling on a budget? Why you should skip hostels and go on a cruise instead

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Cruises are back around the world, including the United Kingdom, and this week's podcast episode is a look at how cruises are going on the other side of the pond.

Emma has sailed on a few different cruise lines since cruises restarted from England, and shares her thoughts on what cruising looks like this summer from the U.K.

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: Odyssey of the Seas 2021 Cruise Ship Tour

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 — Odyssey of the Seas 2021 Cruise Ship Tour! — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

8 Cruise ship activities Royal Caribbean abandoned

Royal Caribbean isn't afraid of trying something new, and sometimes that means a good idea today gets replaced tomorrow.

Cruise lines are always looking for ways to keep their offerings in line with customer trends, so it is not uncommon for a ship to offer a certain activity but have it replaced later on.

Here is a look at eight things you used to be able to do on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that are now gone.

The first full day on our Ovation of the Seas sailing was a sea day. Today we sailed off the western coast of Vancouver Island and British Columbia on our way to Ketchikan. 

I woke up around 7am and met my dad for breakfast at the Windjammer. Since we are so far north and winter is approaching, the sunrise was not until around 7:30am. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the buffet and sat down at a table near a window to watch the water go by.

So far, the weather on our way to Alaska has been quite unpredictable. This morning, it was very overcast but only slightly chilly. We took a walk to the outdoor seating area at the back of the Windjammer to catch views of the aft. I think this is the best view of any dining location onboard Ovation of the Seas.

After breakfast, we planned to walk around the running track, but the windy and wet weather prevented us from doing so. Instead, we headed to the Solarium to relax for a while. The seas this morning were rougher than those I had encountered on my previous Caribbean sailings. They even had seasickness bags available in the stairwell! The ship didn’t rock too much, though, and we spent about an hour watching the ship make its way through the dense fog around us.

Later that morning, we went down to Schooner Bar for a quick round of trivia. Interestingly, several of the trivia questions seemed to be geared for guests primarily from Australia. Since Ovation often sails around Australia and New Zealand, I suppose this makes sense, and now I can say I know some random facts about Australia.

The Schooner bar also features a digital map so guests can see where in the world the ship is sailing.

Following trivia, I grabbed a quick snack at Cafe at Two70 before heading back up to the indoor pool to relax until lunch.

Today’s lunch was at one of my favorite specialty restaurants onboard, Jamie’s Italian. The restaurant is located in “The Via” area on Ovation of the Seas and features colorful decor and views of the promenade deck.

We started the meal with the crispy black truffle arancini rice balls and tomato bruschetta drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

For the main course, we ordered the eggplant parmigiana and baked lasagne with penne pomodoro. All of the food was extremely fresh, especially the pasta, which is made from scratch daily! I also really enjoyed the arugula salad I got with my meal.

Our lunch came to an abrupt halt, though, following the main course. The captain came on the loudspeaker to announce that there were whales spotted on both sides of the ship. We immediately ran out to the promenade deck and saw around fifteen whales pop up ever so slightly above the water.

I had never seen a whale in the wild before, and while I wish I could say I got better photos of the whale sightings, I was simply too excited in the moment to even think about taking pictures. 

It was a cool experience to see everyone running out to the deck to catch a glance of such magnificent creatures. This is something you wouldn’t normally see on a Caribbean cruise!

After our lunch hiatus, we finished our meal with dessert. The epic brownie and raspberry pavlova were a perfect end to a delicious lunch at Jamie's Italian.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of walking around the windy running track, listening to classical guitar at Boleros, and looking out at the ocean hoping to see more whales.

Then came time to try an activity I haven’t done before onboard: bumper cars. It is nice to be on a Quantum Class ship for this cold-weather sailing so we can take advantage of the indoor activities offered in the SeaPlex such as bumper cars. While the line for bumper cars can get long, it went by quickly, and it was fun to try an activity I normally wouldn’t do at home. With music and commentary from guests and staff, the atmosphere in the SeaPlex during bumper cars was really exciting as well. 

The weather cleared up nicely in the evening, leading to a wonderful sunset at sea featuring a gigantic rainbow.

After the sun went down, I headed back to my cabin to get ready for our first port day. Tomorrow we will reach Alaska and spend the day in Ketchikan.

Stray Observations:

While often misty or sprinkling, the weather is a bit warmer than I thought it would be.

This is the first ship I’ve been on with an indoor pool and I really enjoy having an indoor option aside from the Solarium. It would be nice to have this on all ships so there are more options in case of inclement weather.

My stateroom is directly below Adventure Ocean and it is pretty loud in the evening with kids running around above the cabin. While I will sleep through it fine, this is something to consider when selecting a cabin if you sail on Ovation of the Seas.

The internet is much better onboard than I thought it would be and I haven't had any connectivity issues so far.

A short note: I am so excited to experience the nature and culture of Alaska and cannot wait for tomorrow!

The time has come to board Ovation of the Seas and begin an adventure from Seattle to Alaska! Over the next seven days, I’ll be blogging from the Pacific Ocean on Royal Caribbean’s final Alaska sailing of the 2021 season.

Luckily I had no time difference to adjust to, so I spent the morning exploring downtown Seattle with my dad. He will be joining me on this sailing for his first cruise ever! We enjoyed walking around the famous Pike Place Market before heading back to the hotel.

Our hotel arranged a shuttle service to the pier at noon, so we arrived at Pier 91 about forty five minutes prior to our scheduled check-in time. As expected, we were unable to board early, but the weather was perfect and it was nice to look up at the ship before boarding.

The terminal was certainly much busier than my previous sailings this year. There are around 3,000 guests onboard Ovation of the Seas this week, making it the ship’s highest capacity this whole season. With a capacity of 4,180 guests, the ship is around 75% capacity.

Check-in went smoothly and we were onboard by 1:15. After completing the eMuster drill, we headed to our staterooms. I was excited to see red velvet cupcakes and room decor waiting for us, courtesy of our travel agents at MEI Travel! It was a fantastic welcome gift to kick off a grand adventure. And yes, the cupcakes were delicious.

After a quick lunch at the Windjammer, I took advantage of today’s sunny and warm afternoon in Seattle and explored the pool deck. I love the blue colors incorporated throughout the pool deck, which help to bring a sea-themed design onboard the ship. Ovation of the Seas also has a large indoor pool area which will be really nice in the chilly weather we are sure to encounter this week.

We ended up not exploring a ton of the ship this afternoon because we couldn’t stop looking out at the beautiful views around us. Seattle has a gorgeous skyline and it was peaceful to watch sailboats and ships make their way to the city.

The best view, though, was when Mt. Rainer poked out of the clouds. At 14,411 feet, the mountain is mesmerizing and it was the best view I have seen from a cruise ship so far! Therefore, we decided to pull up a couple chairs on the running deck and look out at the beautiful landscape of Seattle.

Sailaway was at 6PM. We got ready for sailaway in the best way possible… by grabbing a drink, of course! We headed down to the indoor Pool Bar, where I ordered a Mai Tai and my dad ordered a Manhattan.

While waiting for our drinks, an announcement from the bridge came on and we found out that our sailing had an itinerary change. We were originally going to visit Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka, Alaska. Due to high seas and wind, we will now be visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. I don’t mind the change, and I am excited to see what Ketchikan has to offer!

Drinks in hand, we headed back up to deck 15 just as the ship began to sail away from Seattle. Sailing out of port at sunset with incredible scenery around us made for my favorite sailaway yet.

As the sun fell behind the mountains, it got pretty cold outside and we decided to head to the “Main Dining Room” for dinner. I say “Main Dining Room” because, on Ovation of the Seas, there are four different “restaurants” that comprise what would usually just be one large Main Dining Room.

When Ovation of the Seas was built in 2016, Royal Caribbean was testing out a concept called Dynamic Dining. Instead of one Main Dining Room, they built four separate restaurants in its place, each with their own menu and atmosphere. This concept was eventually phased out, though, and Royal Caribbean has gone back to building its ships with just one Main Dining Room.

Nowadays, since there is no longer dynamic dining, the four venues have the same standard menu offered in the Main Dining Room on all ships. We ate in the venue called Silk, which was very colorful with Asian-inspired decor.

On my previous two sailings, I primarily ate at specialty restaurants onboard. Therefore, on this sailing, I wanted to get a better idea of what is available in the Main Dining Room.

We started our meal with a butternut squash soup and artisan cheese plate. I found the soup under “Vegan options” on the digital version of the Main Dining Room menu. So if you’re looking for more dinner options, don’t forget to check out what vegan options are listed as well (since they don’t appear on the regular paper menu).

For the main course, I ordered the herb-crusted salmon and my dad tried the spaghetti bolognese. And for dessert, we shared the creme brulée and a tahini banana soft serve.

We lucked out with a table right near a window, so we enjoyed our meal with a wonderful view sailing through the Puget Sound.

After dinner, I was pretty exhausted from a long day of exploring Seattle and taking videos around the ship for the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel, so I decided to call it a night.

Overall, the trip is off to a great start and I am excited to continue exploring the ship tomorrow during a sea day on the way to Ketchikan.

Stray Observations

The Windjammer on Ovation of the Seas features an outdoor seating area, and I love it! While I don’t know how much I will be eating outside on this particular sailing, it is a great option when cruising in warmer months.

Speaking of the Windjammer, it appears to be open for dinner on this sailing! The Windjammer has been closed for dinner on my previous sailings this year due to low capacity. It will be nice to have another dinner option.

This cruise definitely feels more crowded than my other sailings, which were around 25% capacity, but it also feels more lively due to the amount of guests onboard.

The line for the Shore Excursions desk today was insane! I was happy that we booked our excursions ahead of time.

Royal Caribbean's priority access program that anyone can buy, The Key, is coming back, and already many guests are reporting changes to the program on various ships.

Last week, RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com reported on changes to The Key on Symphony of the Seas, and those same changes are being done on many other ships in the coming weeks.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com readers have reported getting emails from the cruise line informing them of new policy changes to The Key, primarily a result of Covid-19 protocols.

The Key is an optional add-on you can purchase to get VIP treatment in certain situations onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

Emails sent to guests that purchased The Key list the same changes as a result of Royal Caribbean's need to maintain healthy protocols onboard.

Here is a list of the changes to the program:

• Priority access in the terminal (within booked arrival time) on Day 1
  • Priority access will not be offered in Vancouver, Canada or any Australia ports
• Carry-on luggage drop-off in the Main Dining Room with stateroom delivery
  • Carry-on luggage is limited to two pieces per guest cannot weigh more than 25 pounds per carry-on.
• Complimentary room service for the duration of the cruise and 25% off onboard dining purchases
• Private time at onboard activities including Rock Climbing, FlowRider and more
• Priority departure at tender ports of call from ship-to-shore
• Early access at shows in the Main theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70 (all guests must have a reservation to qualify)
• VOOM Surf & Stream 1-Device high speed internet — 1 package per paying guest
• On debarkation day, a special "grab and go" breakfast bag and choice departure 

The changes to The Key began with Symphony of the Seas on the October 2 sailing, and will fleetwide (excluding China sailings) as Royal Caribbean begins to roll out the changes across the ships.

The price of The Key varies, and starts at $25.99 per day, per person, although there can be discounts available to bring that price down.

All guests over the age of 6 in the same room must purchase The Key.

Guest reaction

Over at the Royal Caribbean Information Facebook page, there were plenty of comments about the changes.

Most of the comments seemed to be in favor of the changes.

Melanie Harris simply said, "I really like the changes, glad we have it."

Erin Berton Baker added, "If that is permanent I’d seriously consider. Love the free room service!"

Susan Christmas bought The Key after reading about the changes, "I think it's better. After I saw this post, I went and booked it."

Yvonne P. Dumont did not like the change to the boarding day lunch, "I’m disappointed about the amazing lunch not offered anymore on boarding day anymore."

Most people have lots of questions when they plan their first cruise, but some people have the added concern of mental health conditions like anxiety and/or panic disorders, which makes planning a vacation pretty challenging.

Anxiety isn’t just being nervous to do something--it creates strong feelings of insecurity and worry over every detail, and can lead to terrifying and painful panic attacks. According to the World Economic Forum, an estimated 275 million people suffer from anxiety disorders. That's around 4% of the global population, with a spread of between 2.5% and 6.5% of population per country.

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.

The goal for every vacation is to relieve as much of that extra stress as possible, so I've listed some tips tailored for those who experience anxiety, to help make cruise planning much more accessible!

Watch videos about your ship! 

Are you nervous about your first cruise? Maybe you’re worried about feeling trapped and claustrophobic, or the opposite--overwhelmed at how huge the ship is.

I’ll admit to feeling both when I was planning my first cruise (I even asked my husband if we could just do a land vacation instead). So I started watching everything I could about cruises, every YouTube video I could find.

More: Check out RoyalCaribeanBlog's YouTube Channel!

By embarkation day, I had the deck plans nearly memorized; I knew what food I was going to order at what restaurant; what drink I would order first. I probably went a bit overboard (no pun intended), but it turned my nerves into excitement.

Podcasts like the one we have here at RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com are great resources to prepare, too!

Avoid reviews

While I recommend researching the ship, watching the heck out of videos to get the lay of the land (sea?)--reviews are another beast altogether.

For someone with anxiety, reviews can totally scare us away from a potentially amazing vacation. We tend to zoom in on negativity, but it’s good to remember that the cruise industry is meant to be tailor made for your own experience.

If you are having a difficulty, bring it up to a staff member and it will be corrected right away! Instead, try reputable, well rounded cruise bloggers like Sheri at CruiseTipsTV.com and Billy at CruiseHabit.com, both with Youtube channels. They will share tips, thoughts on different cruise lines (#loyaltoroyal), and all the information you need to know about the industry!

Read more: Trying to answer the most common Royal Caribbean question

Buy the drink package

On land, my husband and I only have a drink or two a week, but we let loose on vacation.

Bloody Marys in the morning, frozen concoctions on the beach, wine at dinner, and cocktails afterward. It adds up, and we always are busier than we expect to be (with a cocktail in hand, of course)!

Buying the drink package before boarding allows us to budget in advance, then relax on ship. A swipe of a wristband, and that’s it. No calculating how much we’ve spent, how much to tip, etc. Gratuities are prepaid, and we don’t have to carry cards or cash around.

The point is to relax without panicking about money all the time.

Read more: Royal Caribbean drink package information

Balance out port stops

There are so many itineraries to choose from--it can be a little overwhelming at first. There really is something for everyone!

For your first cruise, especially for those of us with a tendency to get overstimulated, I recommend choosing a trip that balances busy port stops with rest days. Rest days don’t necessarily have to mean sea days, where you don’t leave the ship, but could also mean relaxing on the beach!

For example, I love an itinerary where Mr. Mills and I go on a walking tour or do some activity, and then the next day we have a beach bed on Coco Cay or Labadee. It’s a wonderful balance of busy and relaxation! 

Read more: Royal Caribbean itinerary recommendations for first-time cruisers

Don’t count out a nap

Don’t count out a good afternoon nap. This is vacation, after all, and there’s no shame in hitting the snooze.

Sometimes we will take a morning excursion, and then head back to the ship where I can lay down for a nap in the afternoon. Mr. Mills wanders off to do whatever Mr. Mills does, while I can recharge for the night’s activities. 

Don’t try to do it all

Royal Caribbean’s ships are like mini cities: There are all kinds of activities on board:  Flowriders, Ziplines, iFly, Broadway Shows, Bars, Dining, Shopping, Pool and Jacuzzis, Gyms, Spas, etc.

The choices are limitless on what you can do each day. But, just because you can choose from anything, doesn’t mean you have to do everything.

Every evening, you’ll receive a Cruise Compass newsletter for the next day. Go through it and mark any activity that looks fun to you, and then breeze through the next day and hit a few of them. If you miss a trivia? It is not the end of the world! You were doing something else that captured your attention.

Cruising is all about taking the moments that are important to you, and not what the schedule says.

Read more: First time cruiser's guide to Royal Caribbean's Cruise Compass

Don't worry

I know, I know, this is the worst thing to tell a person with anxiety. But, I promise you, cruising is the best vacation for us.

Before I started cruising, I was never able to relax while traveling. Something was always going to go wrong, or change, or I was obsessing about how much I was paying for each drink, meal, activity in my head as we went along.

With a cruise, all that work is done before you set sail. And much of it is fun to do--choosing itineraries, excursions, dining, it all becomes exciting once you fall in love with cruising.

Then the countdown starts...you hit the "Double Digit Dance" (99 days or less), and then it’s embarkation day! Can you imagine a week with no worries except what to order off the menu?

Cruising for the first time can be a little intimidating, but I recommend it to everyone I meet. To me, it’s the perfect vacation. I can plan and pay for everything in advance, and then completely relax once on ship. I can be totally alone, or meet new people. My trip can be full of action, or I can hang out by the pool and read a book.

Cruising allows you to do anything you want to do, every day, for your entire vacation. The options are almost limitless. I hope you find you enjoy the experience as much as we do.

The State of Florida is ready for another round of a legal fight over mandating Covid-19 vaccines.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) won a lawsuit earlier this summer against Florida over a state law that banned businesses from denying entry to customers who were not vaccinated.

Florida filed documents on October 4th with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to appeal the preliminary injunction NCLH won, and asking the appeals court to vacate the decision.

United States District Judge Kathleen M. Williams granted NCLH the preliminary injunction, but Florida wants that decision reversed.

In the 69-page filing, Florida argues the U.S. constitution gives companies no right for private companies to refuse service to prospective customers who fail to disclose private medical documentation.

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

Florida says its law that was shot down by NCLH's lawsuit neither violates the First Amendment nor the Commerce Clause.

Section  381.00316  does  not  violate  the  First  Amendment  because  it  affects  what    businesses    cannot    do—condition    service    on    customers    providing    documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination—“not what they may or may not say,” Rumsfeld v. FAIR, Inc., 547 U.S. 47, 60 (2006), and thus does not implicate the First Amendment. Indeed, FAIR and Wollschlaeger v. Governor of Florida, 848 F.3d 1293 (11th Cir. 2017) (en banc), compel this result. 

Nor  does  Section  381.00316  violate  the  dormant  Commerce  Clause.  Under  the Pike  balancing  test—the  analysis  that  all  parties  agree  applies  to  the  statute—Florida’s  law  is  constitutional  because  any  indirect  effects  it  has  on  interstate  commerce  do  not  clearly  exceed  the  local  benefits  of  the  law.

In May 2021, Florida passed a new law that banned businesses, schools, and government agencies from requiring people to show documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccinations or post-infection recovery before gaining entry.

Breaches of this law would face a fine of $5,000 per violation.

Subsequently, in July 2021, NCLH sued Florida to get an injunction against the law, because the company says the law prevents them from operating their business safely.

NCLH believes the law puts them, "in an impossible dilemma" to operate sailings from Florida.  In their view, they would either have to be "on the wrong side of health and safety" or on the wrong side of Florida law.

Judge Williams agreed with NCLH's points, and said the law did not go far enough if it meant to protect the medical privacy of private citizens.

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.

This summer, Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society updated their happy hour drink benefit policy, which prompted many to wonder if the new offering is now a good alternative to a drink package. 

In the past, guests who were Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle Club in the cruise line's customer loyalty program were allowed unlimited drinks from a specific menu in the Diamond Lounge for a three and half hour window nightly. 

The new benefit has drinks added to your SeaPass card daily that can be used for any drink (up to $13) at any bar (with the exception of Starbucks, The Bionic Bar and the Rising Tide Bar) at any time. You can also use your vouchers for bottled water and sodas. 

The vouchers (which is what I will refer to them as for the purpose of this article) must be used each day, they do not carry over.

• Diamond members receive four drinks per day.
• Diamond Plus members receive five drinks per day.
• Pinnacle Club members receive six drinks per day.

Read more: How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works

Trying it out for the first time

We were on Allure of the Seas three weeks ago and decided to forego buying the deluxe drink package and just use our daily vouchers. We did, however, buy a coffee card for our morning vanilla lattes from the Café Promenade so we could use the vouchers strictly on alcoholic beverages.

As soon as we boarded, we got appletinis in the Champagne bar.  We get ours made with vanilla vodka, which was a suggestion from a bar staff friend of ours from many years ago.  It makes the vodka sting less potent. 

We still went to the Diamond Lounge for cosmos during their happy hour time.  They still have staff serving drinks and appetizers, however any drink you order does come off of your daily allowance. 

That night we had dinner at Sabor.  We ordered the Simply Perfect and Jalapeno Cucumber Margaritas that were on the drink menu  We ended up using five of our six vouchers that day.

The second day, we started with BBC’s (Bailey’s, banana colada) at the Solarium pool bar.  Before dinner we went to the Champagne bar for two martinis. 

My husband likes the red velvet cake martini. It used to be a standard at the Champagne Bar but has since been removed from the menu. Our bartender said they had the ingredients and she knew how to make it. I ordered my standard favorite, the pomegranate martini.

After dinner we ordered chocolate martinis in the main theater before the headliner show.  We only ended up using four vouchers that day.

It was day three and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made it to the Schooner Bar yet for one of my favorite cocktails, the lavender daiquiri, only found at that location. 

I didn’t want to leave the Champagne Bar because of the excellent bar staff there. Not only did they remember the special way I like my appletinis, they also knew my father would ONLY drink Jack and coke.  So much so that one night halfway through the sailing, they had written his name on a piece of paper and taped it to the bottle of Jack Daniels so everyone knew it was his.  

Once again our bartender told us she could make the lavender daiquiri there. She also made us a martini version of it with vodka instead of rum. 

Other places to use your free drinks

On the second formal night we dined at Izumi. 

We used our vouchers on their signature sake infused cocktails, “She’s a Geisha” and “Japanese Strawberry.” Along with our nightly martinis in the Diamond Lounge and the Champagne bar, we ended our night with the drink of the day the “Portside Punch” at the Trellis Bar.  It was a beautiful evening to enjoy a drink in Central Park with the guitarist playing soft music.

For lunch on day six, we enjoyed pizza from Sorrento’s on the promenade with a Michelob Ultra.  At the Champagne Bar that evening, I discovered a new favorite, the watermelon martini.  Can you tell I like fruity vodka martinis?

Coco Cay is included!

You can even use your vouchers at Royal Caribbean’s private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay. There is nothing like a mai tai in paradise. 

It’s even better when it’s included in your daily free drinks.   We also cooled off with strawberry daiquiris and a frozen mudslide.

Conclusion

We never got to the point where we used all of our allotted vouchers for the day.  The most we used was five on any given day. 

I know everyone is different, but for us, the free drinks benefit is perfect and we wouldn’t consider buying the deluxe drink package on future sailings.  I feel that this was a welcomed change to the daily happy hour.

It is so nice to be able to have the flexibility of time and the venue of your choice to enjoy your favorite drink or discover a new one. 

While the drinks are free as part of your Crown and Anchor benefits, it is still a good idea to tip your bar staff.  They took such excellent care of us, we were happy to return the favor.

Just like any theme park, entertainment plaza, or local attraction, cruise ships will try out an idea for an activity and later on decide to get rid of it.

What is new and interesting today could become passé and old hat tomorrow. Cruise lines are always looking for ways to keep their offerings in line with customer trends, so it is not uncommon for a ship to offer a certain activity but have it replaced later on.

Over the years, Royal Caribbean has tried many different activities for guests. Some have become staples of the Royal Caribbean brand, while others had a short run and were replaced by something else.

Here is a look at eight things you used to be able to do on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that are now gone.

Golf simulator

Royal Caribbean is known for having a surf simulator and even a sky diving simulator, but they used to also have a golf simulator.

A number of cruise ships had a golf simulator, including Voyager and Radiance Class ships, where you could practice your golf swing on a variety of virtual golf courses.

It cost $25 for up to 4 people, and there would be a selection of a few different clubs, including  a driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-9 irons and a sand wedge.

Just like the real thing, one passenger would stand in front of the simulator to take their swings, while the others in the group stood off to the side to watch.

Golf simulators are no longer offered onboard, with the space taken up during recent sports deck refurbishments.

Inline skating rink

Another sports deck feature found primarily on the Voyager Class ships was an inline skating course.

Alongside the mini-golf course was an inline skating track for guests to use. Royal Caribbean would provide helmets and skates and navigate the course.

The track had padded barriers in case you (likely) slammed into the wall on your way.

Like the golf simulator, the inline skating was ditched to make room for water slides and a FlowRider.

Night clubs

Royal Caribbean used to have dedicated night clubs on many of its cruise ships, including the Voyager and Freedom Class ships.

Each had its own name, such as The Crypt or The Labyrinth, and they were a two-deck level space with an entrance near the Schooner Bar.

During the day, the night clubs were closed, but at night, they became a loud party zone.

Royal Caribbean decided the space was not being utilized well by only being open at night, so they converted the lower portion to new staterooms and the upper part became a specialty restaurant.

Not to worry, there is still a night club experience offered onboard, just not in a dedicated area.

Pets at Sea

Remember when Build A Bear was a really big deal? As a parent, I remember my kids always wanting to go get a new pet every time we went to the mall, and I guess that trend made it to Royal Caribbean as well.

Royal Caribbean's first Oasis Class ships had a dedicated shop in the Boardwalk neighborhood where you could create your own stuffed animals, many with a nautical theme.

Pets at Sea was a souvenir option where guests picked an animal and outfit, and then stuffed the pet with a fun machine before taking it home with them.

Alas, the shops were replaced during ship refurbishments to make way for other retail experiences.

Boxing ring

A neat idea to enhance the fitness center offerings was to include a boxing ring on Freedom Class ships.

For an additional fee, the full-sized boxing ring allowed guests to spar with an experienced instructor.

Whether it was not popular enough to warrant keeping it, or perhaps another reason, the boxing ring was removed, leaving a fairly large dance studio space in its stead.

Eco-learning station

On at least Explorer of the Seas, there used to be something called the Eco-learning station.

The ship's Eco-Learning Stations were located either side of the Aquarium Bar on deck 4. The stations produced a large data set of complementary, comprehensive atmospheric and oceanographic measurements along the cruise ship's itinerary and provided over 80,000 cruise ship passengers with guided tours of the research laboratories aboard.

Data collected by the Ocean Lab program was placed in the public domain, and made available to researchers, students, and the public through an online portal.

Royal Caribbean then downsized the scope of the station, allowing it to still acquire atmospheric and oceanographic data, but the outreach program aboard with a full-time marine technician and a different visiting scientist researcher or lecturer on each cruise was removed.

Eventually, the area was completely removed and replaced with The Tavern in a 2015 refurbishment.

Barbie Premium Experience

In 2013, Royal Caribbean introduced a new program aimed at girls with a partnership with Mattel.

The Barbie Premium Experience was available for girls aged between four and eleven and included a pink Barbie themed stateroom and signature gifts, including a Barbie Doll to take home.

In addition, there was a Tiaras & Teacups party; Mermaid dance class; Fashion Designer workshop and a Barbie Fashion Show. 

The premium experience cost $349.00 and was only available on cruises over 5 nights long.

At some point, Royal Caribbean removed the offering from its ships.

So many things from the 1970s

All of the activities listed so far are go back to the late 1990s, but going on a cruise in the early days of Royal Caribbean was a completely different experience all together.

The cruise experience, and the ships, have radically changed since the 1970s and 1980s, and with it what you used to be able to do onboard.

Song of Norway had its own radio station where you could send radiograms or make ship-to-shore telephone calls.

Passenger talent night allowed passengers to sing, dance, make magic, or just about anything else they were brave enough to demonstrate in public.

Casino night was held on two-week cruises, and the crew would allow guests to run the games.  

Lest we forget skeet shooting was available on sea days where you could shoot clay pigeons off the back of the ship.

Read more: What it was like to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise in the 1970s