Today was filled with glaciers, "duck farts", and amazing views of the Alaskan Inside Passage. Here's everything we did on day four of our sailing to Alaska on Ovation of the Seas:

We were not due to arrive in Juneau until 10AM, so had a few hours this morning to relax onboard.

Breakfast today was at the Solarium Bistro. I enjoy eating at the Solarium Bistro because not many people even know it exists! Therefore, it is always much quieter and peaceful than eating in the Windjammer or Main Dining Room.

The breakfast food is similar to what you will find in the Windjammer at breakfast, with eggs, potatoes, bacon, pastries, parfaits, and more. At dinner, the bistro features a Mediterranean-inspired menu and offers plenty of healthier and vegetarian-friendly options.

After breakfast, I grabbed a latte from La Patisserie and brought it up to the running track deck to catch some incredible views of the Inside Passage as we made our way to Juneau.

While drizzling slightly, the weather was fairly mild this morning and many passengers were walking the track. We stood by the railing watching the mountains go by on both sides of the ship. Waterfalls flowed from snow-capped peaks and the sun continued rising from the clouds as Ovation of the Seas sailed through the calm water.

We even caught a few quick glimpses of whales popping in and out of the water, which is always beautiful to see.

It started raining and we took a seat at the upper area of the North Star Bar to continue watching the scenery. I think this is one of the best areas to sit and sightsee on an Alaskan sailing since it is covered and not very windy. We stayed outside for about two hours until Ovation docked in Juneau.

After a quick pit stop to my cabin to grab my waterproof backpack, which I am very glad I brought with me, we disembarked the ship.

While we had no shore excursions planned for Juneau, I wanted to visit Mendenhall Glacier. Luckily, there was a ticket booth at the port offering round trip tickets on the Glacier Express bus to Mendenhall for a reasonable price.

The ride on the Glacier Express took about twenty minutes, and the driver pointed out interesting sights and history of Juneau along the way. The ride was in a school bus, so it wasn't the most comfortable ride, but doable for twenty minutes. We also saw a few sneak peak glances at the glacier.

Upon arrival at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, stunning views were in every direction we looked. I could not stop looking up at the rocky peaks, wildlife, and, of course, Mendenhall Glacier itself.

We walked on a sandbar to catch great views of the glacier and snap some photos. Its magnitude is difficult to capture in a photo, and I can only imagine how incredible it would be to view the glacier above from a helicopter or plane.

To the right of the glacier is Nugget Falls, which is accessible via a short, 2-mile round trip walk on a paved path. At the end of the path, you can view the powerful waterfall up close.

We stayed in this area for a while enjoying the scenery and looking through our binoculars. I highly recommend bringing a pair of binoculars on an Alaskan cruise.

It started to rain more heavily, so we walked back to the Visitor's Center, which offers information about the glacier and has an indoor viewing area, before boarding the bus back to town.

For lunch in Juneau, I ordered traditional Russian dumplings at Pel'meni near the port.

Pelmeni are small dumplings filled with potatoes or meat. Topped with curry flavor, butter, cilantro, and vinegar-based sauce, the pelmeni were delicious and unlike anything I had ever tried before. It was a perfect warm and hearty meal to enjoy in the cold, rainy weather that we encountered in the afternoon.

I had one task left for the day in Juneau: to try the Alaskan Duck Fart shot, and the best spot to try it in Juneau is at the Red Dog Saloon.

The Red Dog Saloon was established over a hundred and twenty years ago and it has a very fun atmosphere, with frontier-themed decor and live music.

We tried the Alaskan Duck Fart, made with Kahlúa, Crown Royal, and Baileys. I'm glad I didn't know about this in college!

The saloon also has food and the prices of both food and drinks are reasonable.

The weather did not seem to be improving, so we went back onboard. Dinner tonight was at the Windjammer. After a long day in port, I did not feel like having a long sit down dinner. Since the buffet is open for dinner on this sailing, we were able to have a quick, casual meal while sailing out of Juneau.

After dinner, we relaxed in Two70 for a while before going to the SeaPlex to try Ripcord by iFLY.

Ovation of the Seas is offering a 1-minute flight option that is complementary and a 2-minute flight option for $49. Since this was my first time trying the skydiving simulator, I opted for the complimentary option.

It was SO fun! The instructors guided my group on how to position our bodies for the best flying experience, and we put our skills to the test as we tried to fly in the chamber. I definitely will not miss the chance to fly again whenever I am on a Quantum class ship.

After flying, we walked around the Royal Esplanade for a bit before heading to bed.

Tomorrow morning we arrive in Skagway for another adventure-filled day!

Stray Observations:

A few fellow cruisers at the Red Dog Saloon commented that they wished Royal Caribbean offered more entertainment in the afternoon before dinnertime. Most shows and live music don't start until about 8pm on port days, and I agree that it would be nice to have more going on onboard before then! 

In this season, bringing a rain coat is essential and I am very grateful I have one!

Since there are a lot of booths offering tours and shuttles right outside the ship in Juneau, I was glad we didn’t book an excursion before getting off the ship.

Live Blog Index

• Ovation of the Seas Live Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day and Glacier Views
• 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

The cruise ship restart process has seen plenty of policy changes along the way, and while many aspects have gotten more predictable, going on a cruise with kids that are not old enough to be vaccinated is one part of the experience that is a bit different.

While I have been on quite a few cruises since Royal Caribbean restarted operations in June, my kids have mostly not been with me since school restarted very shortly after cruises did.

I took the kids on two sailings in early June, but that was before the Delta variant hit the United States hard, and I wanted to see what it was like to take unvaccinated kids on a cruise now.

To that point, we booked a 3-night cruise on Mariner of the Seas to see what the experience is like for vaccinated parents taking their unvaccinated kids onboard.

Pre-cruise testing

Luckily for us, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased the pre-cruise test protocols a few weeks before our cruise, which made things simpler.

Unvaccinated kids have up to 3 days before their cruise to get either a PCR or antigen test before their cruise. The only restrictions are the test cannot be done on embarkation day, and they cannot do the at-home test.

I scheduled my kids to get a complimentary test at CVS.  Using my recommendations for getting a pre-cruise Covid test, I booked an appointment exactly 13 days before I needed it and had no problem finding a CVS location less than 30 minutes away that would do an antigen test for them after school.

I've done many tests at CVS because it's complimentary and easy to schedule in advance, and this was no different. We were in and out of CVS in less than 15 minutes for both kids, and test results emailed back in less than hour.

If you're wondering, my wife and I did the at-home test with the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test and it was even easier than CVS.

Check-in

The biggest difference in protocols for going on a cruise with unvaccinated kids is the test required on embarkation day.

For vaccinated guests, the pre-cruise test is sufficient, but unvaccinated kids have to get an additional test at the cruise terminal on the first day of the cruise.

In the weeks leading up to your cruise, Royal Caribbean will email you with a way to register the kids for the test, which is complimentary.

After walking into the terminal to do the pre-check-in and through security, families head into the luggage area to get their kids tested.

Just like CVS, the nurse checks you in and administers the test.  No "brain tickler" as we had feared, just shallow nose swab. 

After that, they instruct you to have a seat and wait for your results.  An estimate of 40 minutes is how long it should take to process.

In our case, one of my kids' test came back almost exactly 40 minutes after we took the test, but my other daughter's test was invalid (which means they have to run the test again).  

We ended up waiting about 90 minutes in total while the test could be re-run again.

Even without the invalid test scenario, I don't know why anyone would want to have their test done at the terminal. It's a lot of wasted time that you could be onboard, and I would gladly prefer to get my test done on my own and be able to get onboard the ship faster on embarkation day.

I understand that getting a test is a bit of a challenge, but with at-home tests or a little bit of foot work to get an appointment in advance, I would never advocate getting the test done at the terminal if you have a choice. The fear of missing out on that first day is just too much.

Masks

Vaccinated or not, you have to wear a mask while indoors and can remove the mask while outdoors, in your stateroom, or while dining.

Kids cannot go into the unvaccinated only areas of the ship, where masks can be removed, but these are almost all bars, lounges, or the casino.  These are areas of the ships my kids rarely hung out at pre-Covid.

The biggest difference I saw her was bingo was for vaccinated only, which was not the case on our Adventure of the Seas cruise in June. I took it as an omen to avoid spending money on bingo I likely would have lost, but it was one instance where the rule stopped our plans.

Dining

Another significant change for cruising with kids is there are certain venues you cannot go into, including dining.

Restaurants like Izumi and many bars are only for fully vaccinated guests.

My kids love Izumi, so unfortunately we had to forgo dining there.

More problematic is the fact kids cannot walk through vaccinated only zones, which means kids cannot walk through Deck 4 of Mariner of the Seas because the casino and Schooner Bar are for vaccinated only. 

Luckily, kids can still dine at the other specialty restaurants onboard, and we had a nice meal at Jamie's Italian, Chops Grille, and the main dining room.

For the main dining room, deck 4 has areas for all parties (vaccinated and those with unvaccinated children.)  My Time Dining is not available to unvaccinated children, which is not a problem for us since we always do traditional dining.  Of course, that may be a problem if you prefer My Time Dining.

I think the biggest issue was simply not being able to dine at Izumi. I wish we could have taken them to Izumi, but understand the reasoning for that being vaccinated only as there is no way to socially distance at the hibachi tables.

Adventure Ocean

Our experience with Adventure Ocean was identical to our cruise in June on Adventure of the Seas.

Adventure Ocean operates on a limited capacity, and each family is only allowed to sign up for a certain amount of sessions on the first day of the cruise.

On this 3-night sailing, Voyagers (9-11 years old) were limited to one session sign up, whereas Explorers (6-8) were able to register two sessions. 

They allowed us to sign up for other sessions later on, and it was never an issue in our case to get our kids into Adventure Ocean while on Mariner.  We did encounter more demand for Adventure Ocean back in June, as more families opted to use the service back then.

My advice for anyone who wants to use Adventure Ocean is to register on the first day in the afternoon when they hold their open house, and book as many sessions/hours you can up front.  Then ask when more hours will become available to book and be sure to sign up at that time.

Shore excursions

Another big hurdle for families is if you have unvaccinated kids, you can only get off the cruise ship if you have a Royal Caribbean shore excursion booked.

At Perfect Day at CocoCay, there are no restrictions because it is run by the cruise line. By far, visiting CocoCay is the easiest to plan day for families with kids.

Our only other port stop was Nassau, and we decided to stay onboard.

For our cruises coming up later this year with the kids, this restriction is particularly problematic and I foresee us leaving the kids in Adventure Ocean because if only the vaccinated people in your family wish to disembark, they can do so and tour on their own.

Depending on the port of call you visit and your kids' interests, there can be very limited options. On our Navigator of the Seas cruise in December, there are only three shore excursions to choose from in Puerto Vallarta.  Two of those three tours are for kids at least 12 years old.

While the shore excursion rule did not impact us for our 3-night cruise on Mariner of the Seas, it could prove to be a bigger problem on longer sailings.

Bottom line

In short, cruising with my unvaccinated kids was still plenty fun, even with a few extra hurdles.

The embarkation day test was by far the worst issue we encountered, but even that was a fleeting issue.

I think the shore excursion limitation and the Adventure Ocean limited capacity have the potential to be problematic for some, depending on what you like to do and the itinerary you are on. I think some people will find this a major problem, while others may not mind at all. 

Overall, I still felt much safer taking my kids on a cruise than sending them to school.  My kids underwent two different covid tests on the cruise, and strict mask wearing rules were in place.  At school, there are multiple calls from the principal each week about some student or staff member that tested positive for Covid-19 with absolutely no changes to address that there.

As a parent, I greatly appreciated the "bubble" Royal Caribbean created for all passengers, and compared to other land vacation alternatives that have no testing and/or vaccine requirements, the cruise lines are doing an admirable job.

With cruises sailing again, changes are happening at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

While visiting Royal Caribbean's private island on a Mariner of the Seas sailing this past weekend, I took a look around some of the most recent changes happening on the island.

Hideaway Beach progress

As you may or may not know, Royal Caribbean is expanding Perfect Day at CocoCay with a new area called "Hideaway Beach".

There are no details yet as to what this area will offer, but here is a look at where the new venue will be located.

These photos were taken from the family tower in Thrill Waterpark, as well as from the cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean recently sent guests an email survey with ideas for what Hideaway Beach could offer.

South Beach reopened

This weekend saw Royal Caribbean re-open South Beach.

Since cruises restarted, South Beach had been closed since ship capacity was so low that there was no need to open up South Beach.

However, Freedom of the Seas and Allure of the Seas were in Perfect Day at CocoCay this past Saturday, bringing around 7,000 guests in total to the island. As a result, South Beach was opened up again for passengers.

South Beach has two bars, Coconut Willie's Bar and South Beach Bar.

There are also cabanas for rent at South Beach.

Not only did Royal Caribbean re-open South Beach, they moved the floating bar back to South Beach. It was previously located at Breezy Bay at Chill Island, but that was a temporary location while South Beach was closed.

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.